Moderation of Institutional Factors on the Relationship between Stakeholders' Management Practice and Sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project in Embu County, Kenya
Authors: Mwangi David Murage , Njue Nicasio Gicovi , Chandi John Rugendo 
Published: March 2023

The sustainability of a project is indicated by continuous benefits to the targeted beneficiaries. However, the concept of project sustainability has erroneously been generalized without consideration of the context in which it is built. In addition, projects operate in dynamically unique environments which persuade sustainability decisions and outcomes. The present study sought to achieve two objectives, namely: To determine the influence of stakeholders' management practices on the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project in Embu County, and To examine the moderating influence of institutional factors on the relationship between stakeholders' management practice and the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project in Embu County The study was anchored by sustainability, institutional, and stakeholders' theory. A descriptive survey research design with a cross-sectional approach was adopted. The targeted population was 152 personnel, including 7 managers and 145 registered dairy farmers. A sample size of 108 was determined using Krejcie and Morgan table for selecting sample sizes given the total population. The 108 respondents were picked through systematic random sampling (101 farmers) and census (7 managers). Narrative and numerical data were collected using interviews and structured questionnaires correspondingly. Statistical Packages for Social Sciences were used in the computation of numerical data. Descriptive statistics, such as percentage, mean, frequency, and standard deviation, were generated from the quantitative data. Also, parametric tests like Pearson correlational analysis and regression analysis were used in the data analysis. Narrative data were coded, and themes and summaries were generated. Hypotheses were tested at a 95% confidence interval using the F-test. Statistical data were summarized in tables. The relationship between stakeholders' management practice and the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project was found to be strong and positive (r = 0.77), and management practice predicted a 59% variation in the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project (R Square= 0.59). Thus, the null hypotheses were rejected, and it concluded that stakeholders' management practices have a significant relationship with the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project. The introduction of institutional factors to stakeholders' management practice caused a 19% variation in the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project. The 19% was statistically significant for p equals to 0.00, which is less than 0.05. This led to the rejection of the null hypothesis and concluded that institutional factors moderated the relationship between stakeholders' management practices and the sustainability of Ugweri Dairy Project. Project planners and designers should ensure that stakeholders are continuously engaged while prioritizing their needs and interest and resolving disputes to promote the delivery of sustainable impacts. The findings from the current study provide empirical evidence upon which the government can rely to develop operational guidelines with regard to stakeholder participation while aligning their needs with the development projects. Equally, the government can legislate on establishing a dispute-handling mechanism between stakeholders and project developers while strengthening and stabilizing the environments in which projects operate. Future methodologies should consider triangulation research like multiple data collection instruments for the greater conclusion and generalization of the findings. Potential areas for further study include: Interaction of stakeholders' management practice with organizational processes and performance and project success, and Mediation role of institutional factors on stakeholder management and project sustainability