THE EFFECT OF SERVICE QUALITY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN ENTERPRISE FUND IN KISUMU, KENYA
Swagi Khauya Pauline - Master of Business Administration (Strategic Management), School of Business, Kenyatta University, Kenya
Dr. Elishiba Murigi - Lecturer School of Business, Kenyatta University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Access to finance by women is very fundamental in ensuring they create sustainable enterprises and meaningfully contribute to economic growth of the country. This study aimed to assess service quality and the performance of the Women Enterprise Fund, in Kisumu County, one of the programs implemented by the government of Kenya to empower women economically through enabling their access to affordable credit. The objectives of the study were to assess the effects of two variables of service quality, namely; reliability and empathy on the performance of Women Enterprise Fund in Kisumu. The study used descriptive survey research design while the target population of the study comprised of women groups and women entrepreneurs funded by the Women Enterprise Fund. The study adopted the balance score card, SERVQUAL and SERVPERF as theoretical guides in the measurement of the variables. Random sampling technique was adopted to select a sample size of the study from a known population list. Further, a semi-structured questionnaire will used to collect data which was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings were presented on frequency distribution tables. The SERVPERF model is an important tool in understanding the applicability of service quality in the financial services industry and this includes government affirmative action funds like WEF. WEF needs to pay attention to all the four service quality management practices in its strategic outlook since this study has revealed that each had a significant association to the perception of service quality and a positive influence on performance. The study shows that all the service quality variables had significant correlation with the dependent variable of performance and any positive increase in each, improved performance. It is thus concluded that WEF should seek to employ service quality strategies similar to those in commercial banks and financial intermediaries in order to ensure effective service delivery to their customers. The main objective of this study was to examine the effect of service quality on Performance of Women Enterprise Fund in Kisumu County. This study utilizes a tool for the measurement of service quality and assesses the relationship between perceived service quality and how it influences WEF customer’s performance. From this and various other studies, SERVPERF appears to be a consistent and reliable scale to measure financial intermediary service quality, and has a useful diagnostic role to play in assessing and monitoring service quality in these institutions whether in the public or private sector.
