Leadership Skills, Stakeholder Management, Project Scope and Execution of Fibre Optic Infrastructure in Nairobi County, Kenya

Abstract

Telecommunication and internet service enterprise have drastically evolved in the last 10 years across the globe. With demand for huge amounts of data and increased voice traffic, optical fibre is globally preferred technology for transmission of high-speed broadband. Nonetheless, fibre optic infrastructure involves construction challenges and therefore, continues to fail for several reasons including ineffective leadership, poor stakeholder management, and unclear scope definition. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of leadership skills, stakeholder management and project scope on execution of fibre optic infrastructure in Nairobi County in Kenya. The study was guided by five objectives, namely, to determine how leadership skills influence execution of fibre optic infrastructure, assess the extent to which stakeholder management influences execution of fibre optic infrastructure, examine how project scope influences execution of fibre optic infrastructure, establish how leadership skills and stakeholder management jointly influence execution of fibre optic infrastructure and to examine how project scope moderates the joint influence of leadership skills and stakeholder management on execution of fibre optic infrastructure. The study was grounded on leadership skills theory, stakeholder theory, logical framework theory and systems theory. The study adopted the pragmatism paradigm, with a cross-sectional survey design. Census was used to select 187 respondents from a target population of 187 functional members of staff in mobile telecommunication and internet service companies. A questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data while qualitative data was collected using interview guide. Prior to data collection, pilot testing of research instruments was done through content-related method and Cronbach’s Alpha technique. Qualitative data was analyzed through content analysis while quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. To ensure validity of statistical investigation, tests of statistical assumptions were done prior to data analysis. The study used summary statistics to analyze descriptive data. Inferential statistical analysis was also performed using Pearson’s Product Moment correlation analysis, simple linear regression analysis, and multiple regression analysis. All five null hypotheses tests in the study were rejected. With R2=0.451, β=0.626, t=11.825, p=0.001<0.05, in the first test, H01 was rejected and conclusion made that leadership skills have a significant positive influence on execution of fibre optic infrastructure. Similarly, H02 was rejected and conclusion made that stakeholder management has significant influence on execution of fibre optic infrastructure with R2=0.466, β=0.600, t=12.247, p=0.001<0.05. In the third test, with R2=0.366, β=0.544, t=9.982, p=0.001< 0.05, H03 was rejected and conclusion made that project scope has significant influence on execution of fibre optic infrastructure. In the fourth test, H04 was rejected and conclusion made that leadership skills and stakeholder management, acting together, have significant influence on execution of fibre optic infrastructure, with R2=0.574; β=0.379, t=6.476, p=0.001<0.05 for leadership skills and β=0.385, t=6.989, p=0.001<0.05 for stakeholder management. In the fifth and final test, the coefficient of determination (R2) increased by 3.9% on addition of interaction term in the model, therefore, H05 was also rejected and conclusion made that project scope has significant and positive moderating influence on combined influence of leadership skills and stakeholder management on execution of fibre optic infrastructure. Hence, it was recommended that the Government through ICT authority should formulate policies to guide and regulate execution of fibre optic infrastructure, develop right of way, review building code to allow for fibre optic services in new buildings and establish a centrally coordinated authority for issuance of permits and related services. Also, companies should develop coaching, mentoring and training programs to improve leadership skills of project leaders, involve key stakeholders throughout projects life cycle and develop conflict management strategies to ensure sustainability of projects. It was also suggested that research should be conducted on other factors that may influence execution of fibre optic infrastructure. Similar studies should also be conducted in other counties in Kenya.