Under performance: why intrapreneurial strategies and operating environment matter in fixing performance of public universities in Kenya

Abstract

In 2023 the Kenyan government unveiled a new funding model aimed at promoting affordable and equitable access to higher education and at reviving public universities that would otherwise collapse because of financial challenges. This study focuses on improving performance through intrapreneurial strategies. The unit of analysis was 20 public universities and the unit of observation 400 participants. A combination of descriptive and explanatory research designs was used, and primary data collected with a semi-structured questionnaire were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and content analysis, with multiple regression models used to test the associations between variables. The study found a statistically significant (β = 0.620, p < 0.05), partially moderating influence of the operating environment on the relationship between intrapreneurial strategies and the performance of public universities in Kenya, and concluded that the operating environment moderates this relationship. The study recommends that vice-chancellors of public universities adopt innovativeness, pro-activeness, risk-taking, and self-renewal strategies with awareness of the external and internal operating environment, as these have a significant positive relationship with performance, and that the Ministry of Education and relevant policymakers institute reforms and organize forums that promote the adoption of intrapreneurship in public universities to improve overall organizational performance.