INNOVATIVE CAPABILITY AS A MEDIATOR OF SOCIAL TIES AND SERVICE DELIVERY: EVIDENCE FROM SELECTED COUNTY GOVERNMENTS IN KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The study assessed the mediating effect of innovative capability on relationship between social ties capability and service delivery in selected County Governments in Kenya.
Methodology: The research was underpinned by the SERVQUAL model, the Resource-Based View Theory and the Diffusion of Innovation theory, providing a robust theoretical foundation. Adopting a pragmatic philosophical stance, the study utilized both descriptive and explanatory research designs. The target population comprised 263 senior officials across the County Governments of Garissa, Mandera and Wajir. A census approach was employed and data were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire administered through the drop-and-pick method. Quantitative data were analyzed using frequency distribution tables, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis and presented in narrative form. To evaluate the relationships among social ties capability, innovative capability and service delivery, regression analyses were employed.
Findings: The study findings indicated that social ties capability had a significant positive effect on service delivery in the selected County Governments in Kenya, accounting for 25.02% of change in service delivery. There was a significant partial mediating effect of innovative capability on the relationship between social ties capability and service delivery in the selected County Governments in Kenya.
Conclusion: The study concluded that County Governments demonstrated effective networking with public members, suppliers and stakeholders, fostering resource acquisition, collaborative problem-solving and internal knowledge-sharing. The partial mediating effect of innovative capability emphasized that Counties must strategically integrate social networking capabilities with innovation-fostering environments to maximize service delivery improvements.
Recommendations: The study recommends that County Governments in Kenya should prioritize the development of innovative capability by fostering a culture that encourages creativity and new ideas, in addition to cultivating stronger social ties. Counties should establish structured programs for engaging with stakeholders while creating supportive environments for innovation by providing necessary tools, systems and time for employees to explore new solutions. This research would assist County Governments in formalizing the mechanisms used to incorporate the outcomes of social ties capability activities into specific management programs and help policymakers develop future plans for enhancing their effectiveness through the application of social ties capability.
Keywords: County Governments, Innovative Capability, Service Delivery, Social Ties Capability
References
Abdulkadir, M. (2023). Perceived service quality and customer expectations: An empirical study. Journal of Public Administration, 12(1), 33–48.
Abdulrazak, A., & Madu, B. (2023). Public service reform and citizen satisfaction in Africa. African Governance Review, 18(2), 45–61.
Alam, M. (2022). Understanding service quality gaps in public services. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 32(2), 114–130.
Albis, J. A., Mora, J. A., Lucio-Arias, D., Sánchez, J., & Villarreal, A. (2023). Innovation and service delivery performance: A comparative analysis. Innovation & Development, 13(4), 456–478.
Alderwick, H., Hutchings, A., Briggs, A., & Mays, N. (2021). Collaboration between health and non-health organizations: A review of evidence. Health Policy, 125(10), 1371-1379.
Aliyu, A., & Sahabi, M. (2022). Knowledge exchange in Ahmadu Bello University Library: Enhancing service delivery. Library Management, 43(3), 123-135.
AlTaweel, H. M., & Sulieman, A. M. (2021). Innovation capability as a mediator between strategic agility and organizational performance. Journal of Innovation and Business Performance, 9(2), 134–147.
Arokodare, M. A., Makinde, O. D., & Fakunmoju, S. K. (2020). Innovative transformation and social policy: A development perspective. Journal of African Transformation, 5(1), 21–39.
Arun, C., & Uma Maheswari, K. (2023). Service responsiveness and empathy in public institutions: A quality perspective. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 36(5), 617–633.
Belrzaeg, Y. (2025). Total Quality Management in the global economy: From zero defects to customer alignment. Quality Management Journal, 29(1), 55–72.
Boateng, R., & Cai, L. (2022). The mediating effect of innovation in financial resource allocation and public service delivery. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 7(4), 301–316.
Bula, H. (2019). Innovation capacity and competitive advantage in public institutions. Journal of Business and Management, 21(6), 44–53.
Cannon, B. J., & Ali, Z. (2018). Devolution and security in Wajir County, Kenya. Journal of Eastern African Studies, 12(4), 613–631.
Chiwarawara, K. (2021). Service delivery protests and the struggle for urban development in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, Cape Town [Doctoral dissertation, University of the Western Cape]. (Service delivery protests and the struggle for urban development in Gugulethu and Khayelitsha, Cape Town)
Cingolani, L., & Salazar-Morales, D. (2024). The role of public services in advancing social equity. World Development, 176, 105520.
Corona-Treviño, L. (2023). The role of innovation in service institutions: A systemic review. Journal of Service Innovation, 19(2), 143–160.
County Government of Wajir. (2023). Annual development report. Wajir, Kenya.
Danielle, L., & Masilela, T. (2021). Governmental innovation and public sector renewal. African Journal of Public Affairs, 13(3), 67–82.
Dihardjo, K. (2021). Strategic quality management for public sector performance. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 38(9), 2132–2150.
Dougherty, M., Williams, J., & Jensen, R. (2021). The role of social networks in improving public service delivery. Public Administration Review, 81(4), 578–589.
Ebrahimi, M., Salehi, M., Khaleghi, A., & Asgari, H. (2023). SERVQUAL in public sector service delivery: A multi-dimensional analysis. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, 34(5-6), 542–561.
Field, A. (2022). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Franco, M., & Njogu, I. (2020). Capacity constraints in African public services. African Journal of Public Administration, 10(1), 87–99.
Gamba, F. C., Yu, S., Yuan, J., Schoenebeck, S. Y., & Romero, D. M. (2024). Social interaction structures and organizational behavior. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 45(2), 222–239.
Gonzalez, M., Ruiz, F., Martinez, C., & Padilla, D. (2022). Expanding SERVQUAL: A case for adding “access” to service quality models. Journal of Service Research, 25(3), 291–306.
Gordon, D., Oduro, I., Bukenya, B., & Mukwiza, R. (2020). Social capital and service delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. IDS Bulletin, 51(1), 75–90.
Gremyr, I., Birch-Jensen, A., Kumar, M., & Löfberg, N. (2022). Co-creating public services through quality feedback. The TQM Journal, 34(2), 289–307.
Hafez, S. M., Elakkad, A., & Gamil, Y. (2021). Service assurance and customer confidence in government services. Public Administration Review, 81(4), 681–699.
Hällström, B., Bosch-Sijtsema, P., & Poblete, L. (2024). Semi-formal interactions and innovation in organizations. International Journal of Organizational Analysis, 32(1), 12–29.
Harrison, T., Morris, D., & Njeru, B. (2022). Strengthening community networks for effective governance. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 35(1), 88–104.
Hassan, A. (2019). Building trust through better service delivery. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 32(1), 17–34.
Hassan, R., Ombaka, D., & Mutua, S. (2021). Workforce challenges and service delivery in Kenyan counties. East African Journal of Public Health, 18(1), 23–30.
Hayes, A. F. (2023). Introduction to mediation, moderation and conditional process analysis (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
Henneman, E., & Lee, C. (2022). Competence-based innovation in public service organizations. Journal of Innovation Management, 10(3), 112–128.
Huang, H., & Shih, Y. (2022). Idea management and creativity in public institutions. Creativity and Innovation Management, 31(2), 134–146.
Hunter, K. R., Bentzen, N., & Taug, J. (2020). Understanding social ties in public sector innovation. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 24(1), 43–60.
Hutagalung, F., & Hermawan, M. (2018). Innovative governance in public sector development. Journal of Public Sector Innovation, 9(2), 120–135.
Idrees, R., Haider, M., Xu, W., Tehseen, S., & Jan, A. (2023). Innovation as a mediator between knowledge management and organizational performance. Journal of Business Research, 149, 132–142.
Imam, A., & Ebiefung, E. (2022). Knowledge sharing and information service delivery in Nigerian libraries. Library & Information Science Research, 44(2), 101-110.
Kagwanja, P. (2023). India and Nepal’s public service dilemmas: Lessons for Africa. Global Policy Review, 11(2), 201–219.
Kaye, D. (2024). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages.
Ladhari, R. (2021). Determinants of perceived service quality: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 31(1), 124–143.
Lin, M., Mamun, A. A., Yang, T., & Masukujjaman, M. (2023). Dimensions of service quality in public institutions. Public Services Quarterly, 19(3), 256–274.
López-Fernández, M. C., & Perea-Medina, B. (2023). The determinants of innovation capability in public organizations. Journal of Strategic Innovation, 14(2), 203–222.
Maxcy, S. J. (2023). Pragmatic research philosophy: Balancing deductive and inductive reasoning. Journal of Mixed Methods Research, 17(1), 45-58.
Mbaabu, J., Musau, C., & Muturi, J. (2022). Devolution and service delivery in Kenya: A county-level analysis. Journal of African Policy Studies, 17(4), 340–360.
Ministry of Health Garissa County. (2018). County health sector report. Garissa, Kenya.
Momen, M. N., & Ferdous, M. Z. (2023). Innovative capability as a driver of public sector performance. Government Innovation Journal, 10(1), 51–67.
Moses, A., Korir, J., Zeng, Y., Musiega, D., Oyasi, T., Lu, W., & Chuma, A. (2020). Service delivery and governance in Northern Kenya: A case of Garissa, Mandera and Wajir. Kenya Governance Review, 7(2), 88–105.
Mostafiz, M. I., Sambasivan, M., Goh, S. K., & Shaki, M. (2021). Dynamic capability and service delivery: Role of innovation. International Journal of Public Sector Performance, 12(2), 145–159.
Muwonge, A., Mulyungi, P., & Tumwebaze, A. (2022). Decentralization and efficiency in Kenyan county governments. Journal of Local Government Studies, 14(1), 88–102.
Ndebele, C., & Enaifoghe, A. (2023). Improving service quality in African governance systems. African Journal of Governance, 8(2), 101–119.
Nguyen, T., & Malik, M. (2021). Information sharing and customer satisfaction in the hotel sector. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 45(1), 78-92.
Olsson, L., Hellström, D., & Vakulenko, Y. (2022). Customer expectations in public service delivery: A conceptual exploration. Journal of Service Management, 33(4), 421–440.
Oribu, C. (2020). Devolution and public sector service challenges in Kenya. Eastern African Journal of Development Studies, 5(2), 117–133.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (2019). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2022). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, 39(4), 879-891.
Rahmayanti, D. (2023). Innovation capability and its effect on corporate performance. Asian Journal of Business and Management, 11(1), 45–54.
Sasono, I., & Novitasari, D. (2020). Pengaruh kesiapan untuk berubah pada karyawan manufaktur: Analisis praktik kepemimpinan di masa pandemi COVID-19. Jurnal Manajemen, Bisnis Dan Organisasi (JUMBO), 4(1), 175-190. (PENGARUH KESIAPAN UNTUK BERUBAH P... preview & related info | Mendeley)
Tseole, M., & Ngulube, P. (2022). Knowledge sharing practices in Lesotho libraries: Implications for service delivery. Information Development, 38(4), 456-467.
Waribu, D. (2021). The role of innovation in implementing County Integrated Development Plans in Kenya. Kenya Journal of Development Planning, 10(1), 92–108.
Waribu, J. (2021). Innovation in implementing development strategies by County Governments in Kenya. African Journal of Public Administration and Management, 32(2), 201-212.
Wijaya, A., & Rahmayanti, R. (2023). Entrepreneurial orientation, COVID-19 risk perception and business performance: The role of innovation capability. Sustainability, 15(2), 234-245.