Link Between Resource Use and Customer Satisfaction: The Case of Charitable Children Institutions in Kibera-Langata Sub County, Nairobi County, Kenya
Abstract
Despite having ratified the United Nations regulations on alternative care for the deinstitutionalization of Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Kenya continues to rely heavily on Charitable Children Institutions to provide care to OVCs. However, majority of CCIs lack of standard care causing adverse effects on wellbeing of children and their developmental outcomes. Therefore, this study explored the link between resources and customer satisfaction CCI’s in Kibera- Langata Sub-County Nairobi County, Kenya. The study specific objectives included: to examine the relationship between physical resources and customer satisfaction; to assess the relationship between human resources and customer satisfaction; and to examine the relationship between operational process and customer satisfaction. This study was informed by the Resource Based View Theory. The study utilized a descriptive survey research design targeting 954 children, 11 managers, 12 social workers, and 87 care givers from 11 Charitable Children’s Institution. Stratified random sampling was utilized for purposes of selecting a sample of 286 children, 5 social workers and 26 caregivers from 4 CCIs while purposive sampling was used to identify key informants (Managers). Self-administered questionnaires and key informant interviews were used in data collection. Descriptive analysis was utilized in the analysis of quantitative data using the SPSS software. Thematic analysis was used for the analysis of qualitative data. This study established that there is a significant relationship between resources and customers satisfaction as independent variables: Physical Resources, Human Resources & Operational Process account for 55.7% change in Customer satisfaction. Findings of this study revealed that: Charitable Children Institutions in Langata- Kibera Sub County do not have adequate physical facilities to provide quality care to children as they lack adequate accommodation facilities and have insufficient playing ground for extra-curricular activities. Chartable Children Institutions in Kibera-Langate Sub County have a staff that is well qualified to provide quality child care services and highly committed to the care and protection of children however the CCIs have insufficient staff and do not have all the categories of the required staff; Charitable Children Institutions adhere to their operational procedures in the execution of their mandate and have programmes that ensure the children are well integrated into the society upon exiting the institutions. However they lack follow up and mentorship programmes for children who have exited the institutions and are not able to satisfactorily provide for accommodation, extracurricular and children’s psychosocial needs. The study further established that Children in CCIs are very satisfied with services offered. This study recommends that: State Department of Child Protective Services: increases funding to CCIs to enhance the capacity of these institutions to acquire resources to provide quality & satisfactory services; and first tracks implementation of the National Standards for Best Practices in CCIs to ensure compliance. Charitable Children Institutions in expand their accommodation and recreation facilities; increase the number of staff; employ missing staff; and establish follow-up mentorship programmes.
Keywords: Resource Use, Customer Satisfaction & Charitable Children Institutions
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