SOCIAL MEDIA PRACTICES ON PERFROMANCE OF LEADING UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Abstract

Social media has been used to improve communication between government agencies and the people they serve. Currently social media has massive popularity in the world with twitter having 229 million Average monetizable Daily Active Users. The focus of this study was to assess the influence of social media strategic practices, on performance of the universities in Kenya. Specifically, this study sought to assess the role of goal setting,  and channel selection on performance of universities in Kenya. The study employed a descriptive research design. The unit of analysis was universities in Kenya. This research analysed seven of the top Kenyan universities, initially selected based on UniRank's diverse performance indicators. The final selection integrated social media prominence, requiring each university to have substantial followings on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, resulting in a study of institutions excelling in both academia and digital engagement. The unit of observation was 164 mid-level managers specifically dealing with Digital Communication and Social Media from the departments of Information Communication and Technology (ICT), Marketing and Communication and Public Relations. The desired sample size was determined by use of the Yamane (1973) formula which provided a simplified formula to calculate sample size. The study sample size was 116 respondents who were selected randomly. Primary and secondary data was used in this study. This research study utilized a semi-structured questionnaire, combining predefined questions and open-ended responses to collect both quantitative and qualitative data effectively. SPSS version 27 was used to analyse the data. Quantitative data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics techniques while qualitative data was analysed through categorization into various themes. Before the data was analysed, it was first coded, cleaned, and grouped as per the variables. Pearson R correlation was used to measure strength and the direction of linear relationship between variables. Multiple regression model was fitted to the data to determine how the independent variables affect the dependent variable. The study results are presented through use of tables and figures. In conclusion, this study provided comprehension into the impact of social media practices on the performance of leading universities in Kenya. Regarding goal setting, it was established that strategic consistency, feasibility assessment, and timeframe clarity are crucial factors in ensuring the effective integration of social media objectives into the broader goals of universities. Additionally, channel selection was found to be critical, with audience demographics, channel functionality, and content suitability playing significant roles in determining the success of social media strategies. Based on the findings of this study, the first recommendation is to enhance the strategic consistency of social media goals with broader institutional objectives within Kenyan universities. Clear alignment between social media objectives and overall university goals should be ensured to maximize the impact of social media practices on university performance.

Key Words: Social Media Practices, Goal Setting and Channel Selection