Operations Management Practices and Performance of Agricultural Non-governmental Organizations in Nairobi County

Abstract

This study sought to determine the operations management practices applied by Agricultural NGOs in Nairobi County. To accomplish this goal, the study was guided by the following research objectives; determine the extent of application of operations management practices by Agricultural NGOs in Nairobi County; identify the challenges faced by Agricultural NGOs in Nairobi County applying OM practices; establish the relationship between OM practices and performance. The study used an exploratory research design. The main focus of this study was 41 Agricultural NGOs in Nairobi County. A census was carried out due to the relatively small number of agricultural NGOs in Nairobi. This gave a good appreciation of the operations management practices that are applied. The study made use of primary data collected through a closed questionnaire whose respondents were heads of department or country. This study concluded that Operations Management Practices implementations have a positive effect on performance in agricultural NGOs operating Nairobi County. Findings show that OM practices reinforce operations management by increasing efficiency and improving effectiveness. The findings further suggest that the type of activities and programs run by the organization determine the level of operations systems development. Engaging in development humanitarian operations as opposed to emergency operations gives an opportunity to build operations systems that can guide the running of the organization due to the reduced pressure in project implementation. Further studies can be carried out to establish whether poor performance of NGOs as a result of limited financial allocation to operational costs is causing declining donor fund in the developing countries despite rising needs.