COMMUNICATION AS A DRIVER OF PERFORMANCE OF PROJECTS IN KENYAN COMMERCIAL BANKS
Anne Akinyi Odhiambo - Master of Business Administration (Project Management), St. Paul’s University, Kenya
Robert Abayo Ouko - Lecturer, Department of Business Studies, St Paul’s University, Kenya
Dr. John Muhoho - Senior Lecturer, Department of Business Studies, St. Paul’s University, Kenya
ABSTRACT
The growth of the banking sector in Kenya has witnessed a rise in competition towards gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage. Banking institutions are undergoing continuous improvement to increase the levels of customer satisfaction. The outlined improvement entails constantly changing to adapt to the dynamics of the banking environment. Financial institutions rely on projects to implement desired change for improved service delivery, growth, and diversification. This background accounts for the importance of effective project management practices in the banking sector. This research project examined the effects of communication as a driver of performance of projects in Kenyan Commercial Banks. The study adopted a descriptive research design, with the primary data collection instrument being questionnaires. The target population encompassed the project managers in all the 43 banks that compose the Kenyan banking industry. The purposeful sampling technique was utilized to include project managers from all the banks in Kenya because they are involved in leading all the resultant projects. SPSS was used for data analysis, that is, both inferential and descriptive statistics. The analyzed data was presented in the form of tables, graphs, and charts for effective interpretation. The study’s findings indicated that communication is essential in ensuring that all stakeholders involved in a project operate in sync. Optimal communication is an essential aspect of improved performance. However, the study’s regression model revealed that communication could be sensitive if not implemented appropriately in the process of project management. Particularly, oversharing information could result in poor communication owing to the limited availability of feedback. This phenomenon reduces the deliverability of projects because feedback is fundamental, especially in change implementation. The perception that quality communication is a manager’s responsibility could also be affecting the variable negatively. Ordinarily, both vertical and horizontal communication requires both the sender and the recipient. As such, it is essential to review the approach to communication in banking projects even with the implementation of technology.
