MANAGING CHANGE: A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE OF FUND MANAGEMENT COMPANIES IN KENYA

Authors

  • Muli Ruth Mwikali Kenyatta University
  • Stephen Makau Muathe Kenyatta University

Abstract

Statement of the Problem: Fund management companies in Nairobi City County primarily focus on traditional financial performance metrics while paying limited attention to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations.

Purpose of the Study: This study aimed to assess the impact of strategic change management approaches on the sustainable performance of fund management firms in Nairobi City County, Kenya.

Research Methodology: The study adopted an explanatory research design, targeting 42 fund management firms with a total workforce of 252 employees in key functional areas. A sample of 156 respondents was selected using stratified random sampling. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression.

Results: The findings indicated that training, stakeholder participation, and effective communication significantly and positively influenced the sustainable performance of fund management companies. However, rewarding change champions did not have a statistically significant effect. Among the key factors, effective communication emerged as the most influential, underscoring the importance of transparency, clear messaging, and collaboration in sustainability efforts.

Conclusion: The study concludes that fund management companies seeking to enhance their long-term performance and competitiveness should prioritize structured change management strategies. Employee training, stakeholder engagement, and clear communication are crucial drivers of sustainable performance.

Recommendations: The study recommends that fund management firms develop comprehensive training programs to equip employees with sustainability knowledge, establish participatory stakeholder frameworks to foster inclusivity, and adopt clear and transparent communication channels to enhance change implementation.

Keywords: Managing Change, Strategic Approach, Sustainable Performance, Fund Management, Companies

Author Biographies

Muli Ruth Mwikali , Kenyatta University

School of Business, Economics and Tourism, Kenyatta University

Stephen Makau Muathe, Kenyatta University

School of Business, Economics and Tourism, Kenyatta University

References

Adili Africa. (2023). Sustainable investing in Africa: Balancing profit and purpose. Adili Africa. https://www.adili.africa/2023/10/03/sustainable-investing-in-africa-balancing-profit-and-purpose

Alexopoulos, E. C. (2010). Introduction to multivariate regression analysis. Hippokratia, 14(Suppl 1), 23–28.

Archana, P. V., & Gerald, J. W. A. (2024). The Multifaceted Impact of Sustainable Training on Long-Term Performance in Financial Services. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(4), 732-740.

Barakat, B., Milhem, M., Naji, G. M. A., Alzoraiki, M., Muda, H. B., Ateeq, A., & Abro, Z. (2023). Assessing the Impact of Green Training on Sustainable Business Advantage: Exploring the Mediating Role of Green Supply Chain Practices. Sustainability, 15(19), 14144.

Belghitar, Y., Clark, E., & Deshmukh, N. (2017). Importance of the fund management company in the performance of socially responsible mutual funds. Journal of Financial Research, 40(3), 349-367.

Bennett, N. J., Whitty, T. S., Finkbeiner, E., Pittman, J., Bassett, H., Gelcich, S., & Allison, E. H. (2018). Environmental stewardship: A conceptual review and analytical framework. Environmental management, 61, 597-614.

Cameron, E., & Green, M. (2015). Making Sense of Change Management: A Complete Guide to the Models, Tools and Techniques of Organizational Change (4th ed.). Kogan Page.

Capital Markets Authority. (2021). Guidance Note on Green Bonds. https://www.cma.or.ke/uploads/7d7648e725448556cefb21b0557c1a45.pdf

Capital Markets Authority. (2022). Capital Markets Soundness Report Volume XXV Quarter 4 2022. Nairobi: Capital Markets Authority. https://www.cmarcp.or.ke/index.php/cma-publications/2019-04-09-13-24-46

Capital Markets Authority. (2023). Strategic Plan 2023 – 2028. https://www.cma.or.ke/strategic-documents/#overview

Capital Markets Authority. (2024) East African Securities Regulators agree on to develop regional frameworks for sustainability linked financing and carbon credit markets.https://www.cma.or.ke/east-african-securities-regulators-agree-on-to-develop-regional-frameworks-for-sustainability-linked-financing-and-carbon-credit-markets-2/

Deloitte. (2020). Why Sustainability is important in the Asset Management Industry. https://www.deloitte.com/ie/en/services/risk-advisory/research/sustainability-in-asset-management-industry.html

Einola, K., & Alvesson, M. (2021). Behind the numbers: questioning questionnaires. Journal of Management Inquiry, 30(1), 102-114.

Elkington, J. (1994). Towards the sustainable corporation: Win-win-win business strategies for sustainable development. California Management Review, 36(2), 90-100.

Fada, G. U., & Sabo, A. (2017). The impact of employee training and development on organizational sustainability. TSPJPAG Journal, 34 – 46.

Fisher, I., & Ziviani, J. (2018). Explanatory case studies: Implications and applications for clinical research. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 51(4), 185-191.

Gadi, P., & Audu, L. (2019). Effects of training of academic staff on employees’ performance in federal polytechnics, Nigeria. International Journal of Engineering Technologies and Management Research, 6, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.29121/ijetmr.v6.i9.2019.3

Garcia, L., & Nguyen, T. (2019). Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Sustainability Performance: An Empirical Analysis. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, 26(4), 112-129.

Griffin, M. A., Cordery, J., & Soo, C. (2016). Dynamic safety capability: How organizations proactively change core safety systems. Organizational Psychology Review, 6(3), 248-272.

Gulich, S., Heinemann, T., Starke, E., Wehr, F., & Weiß, L. (2021). Internal Sustainability Communication and the Influence on Corporate Culture: A Qualitative Survey of Sustainable Companies in Germany. Current Developments in Organizational Communication, 4(1), 8 – 12.

Harikannan, N., Vinodh, S., & Antony, J. (2023). Analysis of the relationship among Industry 4.0 technologies, sustainable manufacturing practices and organizational sustainable performance using structural equation modelling. The TQM Journal.

Hasan, A. N., Abdul-Rahman, A., & Yazid, Z. (2020). Shariah governance practices at Islamic fund management companies. Journal of Islamic Accounting and Business Research, 11(2), 309-325.

Hayes, J. (2018). The Theory and Practice of Change Management (5th ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.

Hiatt, J. (2006). ADKAR: a model for change in business, government, and our community. Prosci.

Hofmann, F., & Jaeger‐Erben, M. (2020). Organizational transition management of circular business model innovations. Business strategy and the environment, 29(6), 2770-2788.

Hussain, S. T., Lei, S., Akram, T., Haider, M. J., Hussain, S. H., & Ali, M. (2018). Kurt Lewin's change model: A critical review of the role of leadership and employee involvement in organizational change. Journal of innovation & knowledge, 3(3), 123-127

Ik, M., & Azeez, A. A. (2020). Organisational green behavioural change: The role of Change Management. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, 34-48.

Jarvis, M., Mackenzie, S., & Pedersen, C. B. (2017). Why effective communication matters in change management: A narrative review. International Journal of Change Management, 18(2), 220-243.

Johnson, M., & Smith, K. (2017). Examining the Influence of Stakeholder Participation on Corporate Sustainability: A Longitudinal Analysis. Journal of Sustainable Development, 10(3), 45-62.

Katipamula, S., Reddy, T. A., & Claridge, D. E. (1998). Multivariate regression modeling. Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 120(3), 177–184. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2888049.

Kenya Bankers Association. (2020). Sustainable Finance Report 2020. Retrieved from https://kba.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/KBA-Sustainable-Finance-Report-2020.pdf)

Le, T. T. (2023). Corporate social responsibility and SMEs' performance: mediating role of corporate image, corporate reputation and customer loyalty. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 18(10), 4565-4590.

Lee, S. (2020). Achieving corporate sustainability performance: The influence of corporate ethical value, and leader-member exchange on employee behaviors and organizational performance. Fashion and Textiles, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-020-00213-w

Lewin, K. (1947). Frontiers in group dynamics II. Channels of group life; social planning and action research. Human relations, 1(2), 143-153.

Maletič, M., Maletič, D., Dahlgaard, J. J., Dahlgaard-Park, S. M., & Gomišček, B. (2014). Sustainability exploration and sustainability exploitation: From a literature review towards a conceptual framework. Journal of Cleaner Production, 79, 182-194.

Markard, J., Geels, F. W., & Raven, R. (2020). Challenges in the acceleration of sustainability transitions. Environmental Research Letters, 15(8), 081001.

Mugenda, A., & Mugenda, O. (2013). Research methods: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Nairobi: ACTS Press.

Musheke, M. M. (2021). Effective communication on sustainable organisational performance based on the systems theory (Doctoral dissertation, The University of Zambia).

Mwangi, A., & Kibet, L. K. (2018). Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance of Listed Companies in Kenya. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, 6(10), 177-196.

Nairobi Securities Exchange. (2021). NSE ESG disclosures guidance manual. https://www.nse.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/NSE-ESG-Disclosures-Guidance-Manual.pdf

Nikolaou, I. E., Tsalis, T. A., & Evangelinos, K. I. (2019). A framework to measure corporate sustainability performance: A strong sustainability-based view of firm. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 18, 1-18.

Njagi, E., Muathe, S., & Muchemi, A. (2018). Human resources, information technology, and performance of public health institutions in Embu County, Kenya. European Journal of Business and Management, 10(5), 9-17.

Nyangito, H. O., & Ogilo, F. O. (2019). Environmental, Social and Governance Disclosure Practices by Financial Institutions in Kenya. European Journal of Accounting Auditing and Finance Research, 7(8), 49-66.

Ouma, W., & Kiweu, J. (2017). Stakeholder Management and Corporate Social Responsibility in Kenya’s Financial Sector: A Case of Barclays Bank of Kenya Limited. International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 7(11), 137-152.

Pan, D. (2009). Not a one-size-fits-all solution: Lessons learned from implementing an electronic resources management system in three days. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 21(3-4), 279-292.

Parry, W. (2015). Big change, best path: Successfully managing organizational change with wisdom, analytics and insight. Kogan Page.

Sucozhañay, D., Siguenza Guzman, L., Zhimnay, C., Cattrysse, D., Wyseure, G., De Witte, K., & Euwema, M. (2014). Transformational leadership and stakeholder management in library change. The Liber Quarterly, 24(2), 55-83.

Teece, D. J. (1997). Dynamic capabilities and strategic management. Strategic management journal, 18(7), 509-533

Tipu, S. A. A. (2022). Organizational change for environmental, social, and financial sustainability: A systematic literature review. Review of Managerial Science, 16(6), 1697-1742.

Wang, J., Zhang, S., Liang, R., Tan, Z., & Xu, J. (2017). Corporate green innovation and performance: The moderating role of environmental regulation. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(2), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-015-2772-0

Wang, X., & Yang, S. (2022). Stakeholder engagement and organizational change: The impact on change outcomes. International Journal of Project Management, 40(5), 734-748. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2022.03.004

Wang, Y., & Gupta, A. (2022). The Role of Change Champions in Driving Sustainable Change: An Empirical Analysis. Sustainability Science, 8(1), 45-60.

Wooldridge, J. M. (2020). Introductory econometrics: A modern approach (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Downloads

Published

2025-03-08

How to Cite

Muli , R. M., & Muathe, S. M. (2025). MANAGING CHANGE: A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO SUSTAINABLE PERFORMANCE OF FUND MANAGEMENT COMPANIES IN KENYA. African Journal of Emerging Issues, 7(5), 28–46. Retrieved from https://www.ajoeijournals.org/sys/index.php/ajoei/article/view/793

Issue

Section

Articles