E-waste management and performance: A case study of the ministry of state for immigration and registration of persons

Abstract

Electronic waste or e-waste is becoming an endemic problem in organizations that are reengineering their business processes through adoption of information and communication technology (ICT). This is attributable to the fast pace of technological evolution leading to a corresponding growth in obsolescence and e-waste. In Kenya, the awareness on ewaste is low. Consequently organizations are grappling with new waste stream phenomena. This study aimed at determining the extent of electronic waste (e-waste) in the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons, the level of awareness of the concept e-waste and establishing the effect of e-waste management on performance. The research design for the study was cross sectional survey of the Ministry and the five affiliate departments‘ staff based in Nairobi on the level of awareness of the concept ewaste and establishing the effect of e-waste management on performance. A list of all employees was obtained from the central registry which constituted the sampling frame. Stratified sampling technique was used and this entailed dividing the population into six strata, that is, the departments within the Ministry. The study used primary data. The data was analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics to summarize and relate variables that were obtained from the administered questionnaires. The study concludes that the concept of e-waste is poorly understood and that there are no official guidelines specifically addressing the e-waste in the Ministry along with the five affiliate departments. The study recommends that there is urgent need to train staff on e-waste management in order to address the effect of e-waste on performance. Further, the study recommends that the Ministry embarks on monitoring of the ICT equipment and ensuring regular maintenance as well as immediate replacement of those that have reached end-of-life. There is need for regular documentation of ICT equipment to enable flagging out of those that have reached end of life.