The effect of ICT adoption on the financial performance of savings and credit co-operative societies in Western Kenya

Abstract

The World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) statistical report for 2014, recorded a total of 57,000 Credit Unions (SACCOs), spread across 105 countries and 6 continents. The worlds Credit Union system has a combined savings of $ 1.5 trillion (US dollars), and an asset base of $ 1.8 trillion (US dollars) out of which $ 1.2 trillion (US dollars) constituted the loan portfolio. Past research studies have been done on how Cooperative movement could harness awareness regarding the power of ICT’s in improving the livelihoods and also incorporate the same in theory and practice within its operations. ICT is a basic infrastructure that can transform the performance of business sectors. Therefore there is need to exploit ICT to strategically position the organizations to benefit from an increasingly information driven global economy. The general objective of this study is to establish the effect of ICT adoption on the financial performance of savings and credit co-operative societies in Western Kenya. Specific objectives are; to determine the effect of ICT innovation on the financial performance of savings and credit co-operative societies in western Kenya, to examine the effect of ICT infrastructure on the financial performance of savings and credit co-operative societies in western Kenya and to assess the effect of ICT Training on the financial performance of savings and credit co-operative societies in western Kenya. Technology acceptance model will be adopted for the study. A correlational research design will be used in this study. The population for the study will be made up of 16 SACCOS in western Kenya. The study will adopt purposive sampling, stratified random sampling technique and Simple random sampling method. The study will use questionnaires to collect data from respondents. The study will use both primary and secondary data. Content validity of the instrument will be ascertained through peer review and scrutiny by research experts. This study will use internal consistency technique to ensure reliability. Data will be analysed using both inferential and descriptive statistics. The information acquired from this study will be useful to policy-makers both in the government and SACCOs, especially in strengthening policy considerations in this sector. Further, the study will act as an impetus to reignite interest in this critical area of study.