Abstract:
Globalization and regionalization has catapulted entrepreneurship to the centre stage of the global arena. The complex global and regional dynamics has ensured that Corporate Entrepreneurship has become fundamental in influencing performance of healthcare sector in the world over. Kenya’s entrepreneurship environment is characterized as highly bureaucratic and turbulent, facing large and highly efficient adversaries from abroad. Therefore, the usage of modern entrepreneurial concepts and methods is essential for further development and growth of Kenyan healthcare units if they want to compete on today’s global market. Implementation of entrepreneurial activities in every day’s life of Kenyan healthcare units should be an imperative to provide so desired improvement on care and treatment of expectant, nursing mothers and the new born and young children. The study specifically sought to determine how the four constructs of Corporate Entrepreneurship namely: proactiveness, risk taking, innovativeness and competitive aggressiveness influence the performance of healthcare units in Kenya. To compete effectively, healthcare units must constantly improve their performance by reducing maternal mortality, reducing child mortality and increasing the number of referrals to the healthcare unit. The study adopted a survey research design and the target population were the healthcare units in Nairobi, Kenya. The target population was healthcare units in Nairobi which comprised of County Hospitals, Health Centres and Health Clinics/Dispensaries totalling to 71 and the sample size was 49. Data was collected using questionnaires and analysed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel. Inferential data analysis was carried out by the use of factor and correlation analysis. Regression models were fitted and hypothesis testing carried out using multiple regression analysis and standard F and t tests. The findings of this study from multiple regression analysis indicated that proactiveness, competitive aggressiveness, innovativeness and risk taking, all positively influence performance of healthcare units in Nairobi, Kenya. The study results leads to the conclusion that corporate entrepreneurship improves the performance of Healthcare units in Kenya, with proactiveness having the highest influence followed by, competitive aggressiveness, risk taking and innovativeness having the least influence among the variables. The study recommends that healthcare units should focus on practicing proactiveness, competitive aggressiveness, risk taking and innovativeness since their practice is necessary to ensure improved performance. The research also recommends that healthcare units should diagnose their Corporate Entrepreneurship needs and develop practical solutions for activating business goals by effectively practicing corporate entrepreneurship to enhance their performance.
