https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/40 Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:47:22 GMT 2026-04-18T12:47:22Z https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3502 MOBILE-BASED SOCIAL NETWORKS ENDPOINT SECURITY ENHANCING MODEL Matoke, Nahason Matoke The pervasive integration of mobile devices and social networking has created a critical security paradigm where the endpoint device has become the primary target for cyber threats. This study addresses the fundamental disconnect between the value of data on mobile devices and the inadequacy of security models focused predominantly on server and network protection. The research was guided by the objective to establish emerging security trends and develop an Endpoint Security Enhancing Model for Mobile-based Social Networks (MbSNs). Employing a pragmatic, mixed-methods approach, the study integrated a quantitative survey of 257 users with qualitative vulnerability simulations of major platforms—WhatsApp, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter)—using the Mobile Security Framework (MobSF) and GitHub Suite for penetration testing. The investigation yielded several critical findings. The survey revealed a significant "awareness-action gap" among users, who demonstrated knowledge of threats like phishing but exhibited poor security hygiene, with 19.1% using no device password and 84.8% not using a VPN. Crucially, statistical analysis (correlation and linear regression) showed no significant relationship between specific mobile threats and the choice of social networking application (R² as low as 1.4%), indicating that vulnerability is universal across platforms. The simulation results provided empirical validation, uncovering high-severity vulnerabilities (CVSS scores 7.0 8.1) rooted not in broken encryption, but in systemic design flaws, including dangerous permission misuse (such as RECORD_AUDIO, CAMERA), buffer overflows, and insecure software components like exported broadcast receivers, which create direct data leakage pathways. In response to these findings, the study designed and implemented the Mobile based Authentication Technique (MbAT), a novel, layered security model built on a Defense-in-Depth principle. The model anchors its security to a hardware root of trust—the SIM card—and employs a dual-layer encryption strategy. It leverages the robust Signal Protocol for end-to-end encrypted data-in-transit, ensuring forward secrecy and post compromise security, while utilizing the lightweight Blowfish algorithm for efficient encryption of data-at-rest on the endpoint device. A critical innovation of MbAT is its secure handling of the XML-JSON transformation layer, a necessary interoperability feature, which is compartmentalized and "sandwiched" between robust SIM-based authentication and cryptographic operations to mitigate associated injection and parsing threats. In conclusion, this research successfully re-frames mobile social network security as a socio-technical challenge, demonstrating that the threat landscape is uniform across applications and rooted in the interplay of user behavior, permission models, and architectural flaws. The proposed MbAT model offers a holistic, proof-of-concept solution that transforms the endpoint from the weakest link into a verifiable component of the security architecture. By providing a scalable, user-aware framework that integrates a hardware-anchored root of trust with state of-the-art cryptographic protocols, this study lays a foundational blueprint for achieving a more secure and privacy-respecting future for mobile social networking. Sat, 01 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3502 2025-11-01T00:00:00Z https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3500 LEADERSHIP EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, ORGANISATIONAL JUSTICE AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE UNIVERSITIES WESTERN REGION, KENYA IN PUBLIC Luchivisi, Priscah Avion The public sector plays a pivotal role in national development, with public universities serving as key institutions in advancing economic and social progress. However, these institutions often face governance-related challenges that adversely impact their performance. This study examined the influence of leadership and emotional intelligence on organizational performance in public universities within the Western region of Kenya. Specifically, it assessed the effects of five components of emotional intelligence—self-awareness, self-regulation, social skills, empathy, and motivation— on organizational performance and investigated the moderating role of organizational justice in the relationship between leadership, emotional intelligence, and performance. The study adopted a positivist research philosophy and employed a descriptive explanatory research design. The target population consisted of 794 academic staff across four public universities in the region. A stratified and simple random sampling technique was used, and the sample size was determined using Slovin's formula. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and an interview schedule. A pilot study was conducted at Maseno University to test the research instruments. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, while validity was established through face, content, and construct validity techniques. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation, simple linear regression, and hierarchical regression). Qualitative data from interviews were analyzed through content analysis. The findings revealed that all five components of emotional intelligence significantly influenced organizational performance: self-awareness (β = 0.241, p = 0.001), self regulation (β = 0.120, p = 0.035), social skills (β = 0.166, p = 0.000), empathy (β = 0.232, p = 0.000) and motivation (β = 0.180, p = 0.024). Leadership and emotional intelligence collectively accounted for 70.2% of the variance in organizational performance (R$^2$ = 0.702). The inclusion of organizational justice increased the explanatory power to 79.9% (R2 = 0.799), and incorporating interaction terms further raised it to 82.5% (R2 = 0.825). The study concludes that organizational justice significantly enhances the effect of leadership and emotional intelligence on performance in public universities. It recommends that universities promote a culture of self-reflection and feedback, invest in professional development programs focused on emotional intelligence and self-regulation, and strengthen organizational justice through transparent performance appraisal systems and inclusive decision-making practices. Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3500 2025-09-01T00:00:00Z https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3496 INFLUENCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEMS ON ORGANIZATIONAL OUTCOMES AMONG PRIVATE SUGAR MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN WESTERN REGION, KENYA. Andayi., Alice Akhanguha Kenya's sugar industry, once a cornerstone of the economy, faces a crisis of declining operational performance. This has led to many of the sugar firms to embrace Management Information System (MIS) in operations by extension Human Resource Information System (HRIS). Some of the areas where HRIS has been used include HRIS recruitment and selection practices, employee records management practices, training and development programs and work scheduling. Despite firms in the sugar industry embracing HRIS, the extent to which this has enhanced organizational outcome has not been extensively explored. The general objective of the study was to investigate the influence of Human Resource Information System on Organizational Outcomes among private sugar manufacturing firms in Western region, Kenya. The specific objectives of this study was to: examine the influence of HRIS recruitment and selection practice, employee records management practices, training and development programs, and work scheduling on organizational outcomes among private sugar manufacturing firms in Western region, Kenya. The main theory of the study was Technology acceptance theory, and it will be supported by resource-based view theory, human capital theory and contingency theory. The target population was 97 employees comprising of top-level management employees, middle level management employees and low-level management employees. The study used census approach. The study’s primary data was obtained using structured questionnaires. The research design was cause and effect research design. The researcher carried out a pilot study at Kibos sugar company in Kisumu County to ensure the data collection tool was reliable and valid. Face and content validity for the current research was determined by experts and researcher’s supervisors. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of data. Quantitative data analysis was done using inferential and descriptive statistics. Descriptive statistics included percentages, frequency distribution, mean, and standard deviation. Multiple regression analysis and univariate regression analysis was employed for analysis of inferential data. SPSS software was used in the analysis. Data presentation was done using figures, tables and charts. The study's findings informed policy makers, management and regulators about the role of HRIS in enhancing organizational outcomes in the sugar manufacturing industry. Understanding the potential benefits of HRIS adoption can prompt policy makers to develop supportive regulations and incentives to encourage its implementation across sugar firms. Tue, 01 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3496 2025-07-01T00:00:00Z https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3495 GREEN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR AND ACADEMIC STAFF PERFORMANCE IN PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN WESTERN KENYA MARUMBU, CHARLES VINCENT As drivers of innovation, universities play a central role in leading the transformation towards a carbon neutral society. In this regard universities are under obligation to embrace sustainability actions which inculcate employee’s green behavior for enhancing their overall employee performance. Despite this, very few organizations have established green oriented practices in Kenya without exception to public universities which suffer internal wastage and lack optimal resource utilization amidst a reduction of government capitation. However, the role of green human resource management practices on academic staff performance in public universities remains relatively unexplored in Kenya. In this regard, this study assessed the moderating role of OCB on the effect of Green HRM practices on employee performance in public universities in Western Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives, to: determine the effect of green recruitment on employee performance, examine the effect of green training and development practices on employee performance, assess the effect of green reward management practices on employee performance, determine the effect of green performance appraisal on employee performance, assess the effect of green reward management practices on employee performance, analyze the moderating effect of organizational citizenship behaviour on the relationship between of green HRM practices and employee performance in public universities in Western Kenya. Study hypotheses were formulated in line with the objectives. Relevant literature was reviewed to focus on the study variables. Ability Motivation Opportunity, Institutional theory, Social Exchange Theory and stakeholders ‘theory guided the study. Basing on a positivist philosophy, an explanatory research design was adopted with a target population of 438 employees in top and middle level management from 11 public universities in Western Kenya region out of which sample size of 209 respondents was picked. Data was collected using a questionnaire which was tested for reliability and validity. Reliability was ensured through a Cronbach‘s Coefficient Alpha of above 0.876, while validity was achieved by ensuring relevance of the research results with theoretical approaches, literature reviews and factor analysis using principal Component Analysis (PCA) to extract the factors. KMO test yield valued between 0.765 and 0.938, qualifying the data for further analysis. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequencies, percentages, and inferential statistics of correlation and multiple regression analysis using SPSS version 25.0. The quantitative data was presented in tables while the inferential statistics in form of linear regression were used to assess how green human resource management practices (green reward management practices, green recruitment practices, green training practices, and green performance management practices) influence employee performance. On the first objective, the findings revealed that green reward management practices influenced employee performance accounting for about 11.1% of variation in employee performance in public universities in western region. The study results also indicated that green recruitment practices partially influenced performance of employees in public universities in western region, explaining up to 8.9% of their overall performance. Training employees on green human resource management practices was found to have significant effect on employee performance, accounting for 9.9% of variability in performance of academic staff in universities in western region, and lastly, the study findings revealed that performance management practices explained about 28.2% of employee performance in public universities. The study also revealed that occupational citizenship behavior has a significant impact on employee performance and can help universities achieve their sustainability goals. In summary, green human resource management practices have a significant effect on performance of academic staff in public universities. However, based on the study results, the researcher recommends universities to further work on adoption of human resource practices aimed at greening and sustainability. Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://ir-library.mmust.ac.ke/xmlui/handle/123456789/3495 2024-04-01T00:00:00Z