1.        INTRODUCTION

East African countries like many developing countries have, for many years, been faced with a complex employment problem of extensive open unemployment in the urban areas, under-employment characterised by low wage payment and low employment in the rural areas especially in the agricultural and informal sector (Manda, 2004). In Kenya however, from 2002, as a result of the election of a new president who led the implementation of significant improvements in the macroeconomic conditions and various policy reforms that supported growth and development, there was an increase in investment which led to a GDP growth rate increase of approximately 4.5% within the first 3 years (CIA World Factbook, April 17, 2007). According to Chune (2005), this positive growth rate was seen in various sectors, particularly tourism, telecommunications, manufacturing and agriculture. This resulted in the growth of the labour market and as a consequence GDP growth rate. It also resulted in experienced Business Management Executives and Professionals enjoying national job marketability and to some extent International job marketability (Price Waterhouse Coppers, 2006).

The elections in Kenya of December 2007 however were rifled with two months of post election violence which resulted to a decline in the Kenyan economy especially in the tourism sector leading to many job losses. This is however viewed as a temporary setback because unlike many economies in the resource-rich Africa, Kenya is not solely reliant on one or two commodities to drive growth. In addition to tourism, Kenya has a comparative advantage in other non tradable goods, especially in the agricultural sector and is a strong hub in the manufacturing and financial services sector (Hunt, 2 January 2008). Kenyan analysts from the Ministry of Finance predict that Kenya’s strong base should allow the country to fully ride out any economic slowdown by mid 2008 and regain its strong economic growth rate of 5.7% GDP. The country’s economy should continue to benefit from a stable macroeconomic environment and growth enhancing policy measures being implemented by the

This article analyses the labour market for Business Management executives in Kenya, in the context of the economy as it was in 2006/2007, focusing on skills, competencies, qualifications and experience/exposure. Data on this area of the labour market has been sourced from advertisements in newspapers and electronic media for management executives in Kenya between October 2007 and March 2008. This paper also analyses the UK labour market as reflected in advertisements posted for four consecutive weeks in the Independent Newspaper and compares the results with the findings for Kenya. All through the paper, information found in relevant web sites, journals and books has been used to support the analysis and provide a wide range of labour market data.

2.       ANALYSIS OF KENYA’S LABOUR MARKET

2.1       Background Information

Kenya entered the 21st Century in the middle of what was arguably the worst economic crisis since the country gained independence in 1963. The GDP growth rate had declined continuously from a peak of about 6.5% per year during the decade 1963 - 1972, to 1.5% per year in the 1990’s and early 2000 (Congress of Trade Unions Kenya, 2001). Between 2002 and 2006, after elections of a new president and the implementation of new macro economic growth policies in the business sector, there was an increase in investment which led to a growth rate increase of approximately 4.5% GDP within the first 4 years. Current estimates suggest that the growth rate as depicted by GDP is 5.7% as at end of year 2007 (CIA World Factbook, April 17, 2007). According to Chune (2005), the positive growth rate was as a result of increased investment in various sectors, particularly tourism, telecommunications, manufacturing and agriculture in the face of significant improvements in the macroeconomic conditions and various policy reforms undertaken by the Government. This resulted in the growth of the labour market and as a consequence GDP growth rate. Below is a graphical depiction of the GDP growth rate between 2003 and 2007 as a result of increase investment which resulted to increase in employment.

The growth in employment was to a large extent found in private companies and was mainly a reflection of increased investment into the country by private multi-nationals (Chune 2005). These multi-nationals when recruiting were looking for certain international standard of skills and competencies for their Business Management Executives which were, with time, were widely adopted by local companies. Initially the multinationals brought in expatriates but this was not only expensive but the expatriates also struggled to blend their expertise with understanding of the country’s business environment and culture (Gathii, 2008). These companies therefore started recruiting locally qualified Kenyan managers with international management exposure especially at senior levels. This resulted to requirements of skills and competencies of executive managers in the country being a blend of a manager with internationally recognised skills and competencies but who still understood and was able to manage within the business environment and culture of the country. Due to this, a number of the qualifications required for these positions reflected international standards requirements with specific country requirements embedded in them. However, due to cultural differences in consumer base and labour market these standards have evolved over time to be more Kenyan with international requirements embedded in them.

2.2       Required Management Skills for Business Management Executives in Kenya

In assessing the management skills for business management executives in Kenya, 30 advertisements in Kenyan newspapers and electronic media posted between October 2007 and March 2008 were looked at. From these adverts, 18 categories of key management skills were identified and have been listed in Table 3 below along with the number of times they were sighted in the 30 advertisements assessed. The positions assessed were for professionals in business related fields namely Human Resources Directors, Financial Controllers, Programme Directors, Chief Operating Officers, General Managers, Sales & Marketing Directors, Credit Controllers, Project Directors and Field Co-ordinators.
Required Management Skills in the Kenyan Labour Market

       Management Skills Identifies
1       Administrative/Organisational Skills       23
2       Staff Management/Supervision       12
3       Leadership       12
4       Analytical Skills/Judgement       12
5       Project Management       22
6       Staff training and development       3
7       Management Skills (general)       30
8       Problem solving       12
9       Information Technology       18
10       Planning       18
11       Motivation       9
12       Strategy preparation       12
13       Budgeting       17
14       Evaluation       2
15       Reporting       19
16       Team Building       6
17       Service Delivery and Development       17
18       Education qualifications       30

From the analysis, it is noted that most of the business executive advertisements from the Kenyan publications were mainly looking for the following management skills and attributes: administrative/organisation skills, project management, general management skills, information technology knowledge, planning, budgeting, reporting, service delivery and development and education qualifications. 

3.       COMPARISON OF UNITED KINGDOM’S AND KENYA’S LABOUR MARKET

In the UK, financial and business services currently account for about one in five jobs. This sector saw the largest increase in jobs between 1981 and 2001 (Office for National Statistics, 31 July 2004). This is opposed to Kenya which is more manufacturing and agriculture oriented. Nevertheless in comparing the two country’s labour market, it was still found that many aspects of the adverts could be cut and pasted from one country to another; however, there were a few key differences that completely separated the two labour markets in terms of expectations of their business management executives.
The UK labour market was analysed in the same manner as the Kenyan market however only one Newspaper (the Independent Newspaper) was looked at in the month of February 2008. Table 4 below provides findings from 10 advertisements of Business

Management Skills Identifies
1       Administrative/Organisational Skills       4
2       Staff Management/Supervision       10
3       Leadership       10
4       Analytical Skills/Judgement       5
5       Project Management       4
6       Staff training and development       8
7       Management Skills (general)       4
8       Problem solving       10
9       Information Technology       -
10       Planning       -
11       Motivation       8
12       Strategic planning knowledge       1
13       Finance/budget management       2
14       Evaluation       -
15       Reporting       2
16       Team Building       6
17       Service Delivery and Development       10
18       Education qualifications       2

For the UK labour market, although some of the recruitment advertisements sought evidence of knowledge indirectly, most of them looked at relevant work experience rather than management experience, despite the management role involved. Little evidence was sought as to specific knowledge areas relevant to management. In addition, all of the positions sought an individual who would develop the service they were charged with managing, but only one position sought a manager who had knowledge of strategic planning and evaluation. All positions however required strong communication and interpersonal skills.

The above contrasts a lot with the Kenyan labour market and if it was to be analysed in the framework of Mitzberg and Katz models, the UK market would be seen as favouring the interpersonal and decisional roles of the manager most. Under Katz framework, the UK Labour market seems to favour human and conceptual skills most. It can therefore be derived that in the UK, it is the case that managers are developed by experience as soft skills of management are more valued. In Kenya hard skills are more valued and this needs technical training. These differences could be due to differences in business environments and culture e.g. UK is considered to have a Market Oriented business environment while Kenya is more Finance/Cost Oriented or in differences in expectations of the employers in what the executive delivers due to political, economical, situational and technological differences in countries.

4.       CONCLUSIONS

From the information above, it can be concluded that although the two countries look at similar aspects in skills, competencies and qualifications, based on the occurrences, Kenya is more focused on the hard aspects of the skills while UK is more focused on the soft aspects of the skills.

In assessing whether the skills I will gain from undertaking an MBA and those that I had gained from my earlier employment and education are adequate to secure me a job in both Kenya and UK, I have looked at the Kenyan and UK market separately. With the Kenyan market which mainly looks at the technical and conceptual skills and the information and decisional roles for the job, on completion of the MBA, I will have gained the required skills to meet these requirements. For the UK market which holds the interpersonal role and conceptual / interpersonal skills as most important, on completion of the MBA, I will have gained the conceptual skills and an understanding of the required human / interpersonal skills for a Business Management Executives positions. To be able to fully gain the human / interpersonal skills I would experience in the UK labour market. This might be possible to secure because currently the UK faces a skills shortage for business management professionals in the areas if accounting, finance IT, general administration, engineering and construction among others (Strategic Risk, 2007) and would therefore probably be willing to consider me.

It is however important to note too that other considerations might also be taken into account in addition to my qualifications, skills and competencies for me to get a job both in the UK and Kenya. In Kenya, considering that I have worked there for approximately 6 years in corporate organisations, acquiring a position as an executive will be fairly easy however in the UK where I have no experience working apart from that gained through my MBA and considering I require a work permit to work in the county, it might make it more difficult.