INNOVATION THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS: A CRITICAL REVIEW OFTHE UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI ONLINE APPLICATION INFORMATION SYSTEM
Abstract
ABSTRACT As a leading institution of higher learning in Africa, The University of Nairobi is
credited for producing top notch students in respective fields. The institution has assumed a lead
role in innovation on areas which improve service delivery to the students. This is a case study
which explores on how the university aspires to maintain the top accolades by employing global
standards in the running of its affairs. True to this aspiration is the innovative nature that the
university has attempted in revolutionizing the running of its programs. The institution has
heavily diversified its courses and aligned its programs to accommodate the diverse
requirements of its stakeholders. Many colleges have been opened in various strategic locations
of the country to tap into the ever growing demand for knowledge. It is evident from the leading
scholars that the University of Nairobi has very little challenge locally. Looking at the key
players in most industries in Kenya, one will often realize that in most institutions in Kenya, top
management are alumni of the University of Nairobi. This is an attestation of the place the
University holds in the corporate space in Kenya. Despite these achievements, the University
still finds itself lagging behind in various areas some of which require corporate experience to
excel in. This study looks at the student’s online application process and interrogates how the
university has innovated the process of on-boarding students into the institution through
partnerships. The study espouses the need to partner with specialized firms to achieve success in
a chosen area. The study demonstrates that innovation can propel an institution above its
competitors by enabling the institution achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The
University of Nairobi has been struggling with manual enrollment process of new students. Since
competition for students’ has been stiff in Kenya following the remarkable spread of universities
across the region, the University of Nairobi has experienced diminishing enrollment numbers. To
counter this challenge, the University sought to reorient its enrollment process so as to tap into
the unreached population. The implication of this study is to encourage partnerships as a
springboard to achieve innovation. The objective of this study was to establish how partnerships
can lead to innovation. The study is grounded in both innovation and partnership theories. The
study finds that innovation is not invention and that partnerships are catalysts for innovation as
they enable the partners to nurture their competencies, talents and perspectives to create a
sustainable competitive advantage over competition.
Key words: Innovation, partnerships, automation, alliances, collaboration, OAIS.
credited for producing top notch students in respective fields. The institution has assumed a lead
role in innovation on areas which improve service delivery to the students. This is a case study
which explores on how the university aspires to maintain the top accolades by employing global
standards in the running of its affairs. True to this aspiration is the innovative nature that the
university has attempted in revolutionizing the running of its programs. The institution has
heavily diversified its courses and aligned its programs to accommodate the diverse
requirements of its stakeholders. Many colleges have been opened in various strategic locations
of the country to tap into the ever growing demand for knowledge. It is evident from the leading
scholars that the University of Nairobi has very little challenge locally. Looking at the key
players in most industries in Kenya, one will often realize that in most institutions in Kenya, top
management are alumni of the University of Nairobi. This is an attestation of the place the
University holds in the corporate space in Kenya. Despite these achievements, the University
still finds itself lagging behind in various areas some of which require corporate experience to
excel in. This study looks at the student’s online application process and interrogates how the
university has innovated the process of on-boarding students into the institution through
partnerships. The study espouses the need to partner with specialized firms to achieve success in
a chosen area. The study demonstrates that innovation can propel an institution above its
competitors by enabling the institution achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The
University of Nairobi has been struggling with manual enrollment process of new students. Since
competition for students’ has been stiff in Kenya following the remarkable spread of universities
across the region, the University of Nairobi has experienced diminishing enrollment numbers. To
counter this challenge, the University sought to reorient its enrollment process so as to tap into
the unreached population. The implication of this study is to encourage partnerships as a
springboard to achieve innovation. The objective of this study was to establish how partnerships
can lead to innovation. The study is grounded in both innovation and partnership theories. The
study finds that innovation is not invention and that partnerships are catalysts for innovation as
they enable the partners to nurture their competencies, talents and perspectives to create a
sustainable competitive advantage over competition.
Key words: Innovation, partnerships, automation, alliances, collaboration, OAIS.
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