Influence of Strategic Management Practices on Non-Financial Performance of Private Primary Schools in Kasarani Sub-County, Nairobi County

Abstract

This study examined how strategic management practices affect the non-financial performance of private primary schools in Kasarani Sub-County, Nairobi County, Kenya. Although private primary schools contribute significantly to access to basic education, their sustainability remains a concern. The number of private primary schools declined from 13,699 in 2018 to 8,838 in 2022, highlighting challenges in the sector (KNBS, 2022). The study addressed limited empirical evidence on strategic management and integrated non-financial performance in urban Kenyan private primary schools. Specifically, it sought to determine whether strategic leadership, strategy implementation, and strategic control influence non-financial performance measured through teacher retention, enrolment stability, and institutional sustainability. The study was anchored on the Resource-Based View, Contingency Theory, and Systems Theory. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was adopted. The accessible population comprised 287 private primary schools that had operated for at least ten years, from which the study sampled 74 schools using Yamane’s formula and stratified sampling. Data were collected from school administrators and teachers using structured questionnaires. Of the 148 questionnaires distributed, 103 were returned and found usable for analysis, representing a response rate of 69.6%. We assessed validity through supervisor review, alignment with the conceptual framework and literature, and construct assessment, and we assessed reliability using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.920). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression. The regression model was significant (R² = 0.531, p < 0.001). Strategic leadership had a significant positive influence on non-financial performance (β = 0.470, p < 0.001), as did strategic control (β = 0.328, p = 0.006). Strategy implementation was not a significant independent predictor (β = 0.021, p = 0.866). The study contributes theoretically by extending RBV and Systems Theory to private primary schools and refining understanding of the complementary role of strategic management practices. It recommends strengthening strategic leadership, strategic control, and supported strategy implementation to enhance teacher retention, enrolment stability, and institutional sustainability.