CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Problem

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CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Problem

Professional bodies today operate in a more competitive and dynamic business environment,

where they must continuously evaluate their strategy and engage in an on-going process of

analyzing their decisions, actions and results of strategies undertaken so as to create and

sustain competitive advantages. This has been occasioned by several factors such as the

continued split of the existing associations, growth of new associations, the non-compulsory

requirement to join professional bodies as a condition for practice and also financial

constraints (Berger, 2014; Dess, Lumpkin, and Taylor, 2005).

Thus, in this context, the essence of this study is to assess the impact of the strategies adopted

by professional bodies in positioning themselves, in attracting and retaining members and in

acquiring and sustaining competitive advantages. According to Ansoff (1990), strategy can

be defined as a set of rules that guide organizational behaviour and the decision-making

process so as to help in achieving the company goals by defining the basis of the

competition. Mintzberg (1998), further explains that strategies need to be flexible to

accommodate changes in the environment and that they evolve as time passes.

Strategy entails being different from everyone else and thus operational effectiveness

(performing better than rivals in similar activities such as out-sourcing, total quality

management or inventory management) on its own cannot deliver a competitive advantage

because everyone is engaging in the same operational effectiveness. Thus, businesses must

develop unique, internally consistent, and highly unimitatable processes that will result in

sustained competitive advantage (Porter, 1996).

In any organization, there are 3 levels of strategy; corporate strategy, business strategy and

functional strategy. The corporate strategy looks at the business the company should be in

and guides in the development and coordination of the different portfolio of businesses the

association undertakes, with an aim to maximize on profitability and abounding synergies.

The business strategy identifies tactics to be used to beat competition with the aim of

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sustaining some of the competitive advantages against their competitors as competition is

strongest and most impactful at the Strategic Business Unit (SBU) level. The functional

strategy looks at how to implement the tactics identified in both the corporate and business

levels throughout all the business processes and the value chains that are used in production

of products/ services (Mintzberg, 1998). At Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK), the

corporate strategy is advanced by the MSK Council which is the society's board of directors.

As seeing MSK does not have an overly broad spectrum of products, there is a singular focus

on the business strategy with the functional strategy being implemented by each of the staff

members who acts in their area of specialty.

Prior research results have shown that members join professional bodies hoping to enjoy

several benefits as well as give them a return on their investment in time and money. Thus,

the bodies are therefore expected to be at the forefront in creating formal and informal

leadership for the profession, creating avenues and platforms for life-long professional

development of the members, advocating through lobbying issues for and on behalf of their

members as well as providing them with the resources they require in order to boost their

knowledge (Merriam & Brockett, 2007). Just like any other professional body, MSK must be

seen to add value to the general public and more so advance opportunities for self and

business advancement for their members.

Irrespective of what business an organization is in, there is bound to be either direct or

indirect competition from various sources. Just like any other business, the professional body

must gather intelligence on issues such as their competitors (both direct and indirect) size of

market share, the products they offer and the strategies that they use. Professional bodies are

sometimes represented by competing and/or complementary bodies that may have been as a

result of disintegration of the profession along functional lines due to the increasing need for

specialization. Thus it is important to constantly analyze the internal and external

environment they operate in through the SWOT analysis. Case in point, the Advertising

Practitioners Association of Kenya and Event Managers Association of Kenya represent

specialized categories o the marketing profession thereby forming an industry on their own

and eating into MSK's membership. This kind of competition sometimes makes it difficult to

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sustain the inadequate yet fragmented market size (Porter, 1985; ICAEW and CECCAR,

2012).

Each body should continually evaluate its impact in achieving the objectives it sets out to, as

this helps to reveal the effectiveness of the initiatives they undertake, in relation to the

objectives that are set out and also helps to inform decisions about which activities to

continue and which ones to stop. By assessing the initiatives, the bodies are able to better

understand the processes that lead to the achievement of the desired objectives and the

factors that advance or deter the achievement of set objectives. The information gathered,

then serves as feedback for on-going and future endeavours on attracting and retaining

members into the body (United Nations Evaluation Group [UNEG], 2013).

Marketing Society of Kenya (MSK) is the national umbrella body for all marketers in Kenya.

It started in 1962 as the Advertising Society of Kenya and became the Marketing Society of

Kenya in 1968. The Society vision is to be the "Force Behind Business in Kenya and

Beyond". The mission is to continually promote professional marketing standards, establish a

practitioner’s code of ethics and provide interactive fora for marketers. It is guided by five

core values, which are: Non-discrimination, integrity, professionalism, fairness and corporate

social responsibility (MSK, 2014).

The key mandate of MSK is to empower and regulate the Marketing industry in Kenya. This

is done through: creating policy that governs the Marketing industry (self regulated),

Education and training of Professionals, Corporates & Entrepreneurs, Marketing & Business

Mentorship and arbitration through the Advertising Standards Board (MSK,2008).

In order to achieve its mandate and give value to the profession, MSK offers professional

services to marketers and members of the general public. The services include: marketing

consultancy, marketing research, mask-match for human resource recruitment, Advertising

Standards Board which arbitrates advertising issues, judging services for events and

exhibitions, events and training sessions which serve as networking and learning platforms,

mentorship program and Sokoni Magazine which delivers the industry news (MSK, 2014).

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1.2 Statement of the Problem

MSK as the only nationally recognized, body for marketers has for a long time experienced

challenges in recruiting new members as well as retaining recruited members. This has been

majorly because MSK is not a chartered body, thus, marketers in Kenya are not obliged to

join or renew their membership with the Society. The other reason is because the resources

within the members (both potential and current) reach have generally gotten tighter with the

competing needs also increasing and thus they may not prioritize paying up or renewing their

membership as their lack of membership does not exclude them from any opportunities in the

industry. Membership to the society is one of the key revenue streams and thus, the society

needs to have continuous membership registrations and renewals to guarantee a steady cash

flow within the society (Berger, 2014).

For marketing professionals in Kenya to start or do business, offer marketing services, or be

recognized for their contribution in the marketing field, they are not required to be members

of MSK. It has severally been said that anyone can be a marketer as it is believed to be a

profession with no requirements and thereby leading to the rise of so many unqualified

practitioners. In the event, that a non-registered marketer does anything damaging to the

profession, then no recourse can be sought as they are not bound by the association’s code of

ethics. Even for those registered with the society, they are not completely bound to its

standards as expulsion from the association does not lead to exclusion from advancement

opportunities such as getting employment or contracts or any legal action (Oppenheim and

Pollecutt, 2000).

For members of any professional association, it is becoming increasingly important for

Continuous Professional Development (CPD) to be a necessary benefit for membership. At

MSK there are several self-advancement opportunities offered through the MSK initiatives

such as events, trainings and the mentorship programme. MSK also invites members to

submit articles for its industry publication Sokoni Magazine, however none of the

opportunities are tied to formal systems established to monitor progress such as earning CPD

points for participation in various conferences and initiatives of the association (Gold,

Rodgers, and Smith, 2002).

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MSK is a self-regulated society that operates without a charter. A charter gives any

professional body credibility as it shows that the body is fully recognized by the government

through the passing of a bill. It requires that for any person or firm to practice in the

particular profession, it must be registered by the respective body (Smith, 2002). Several

efforts have been put forward by various teams in trying to ensure that the association is

chartered, however none have been successful. Thus, there are many practicing marketing

professionals and firms in Kenya who are not registered and may not be rightly qualified.

Thus, Gold et al. (2002) recommend that further research should be undertaken to demystify

how associations can adopt and leverage on a Chartered Status and further the establishment

of a CPD program.

Membership to professional bodies is normally as a result of voluntary free will or as a

requirement by the government for chartered associations. The chartered associations, require

that in order to practice in the profession, the practitioner must be a member of the

association and is bound by the association’s Code of Ethics (Huang, 2009). In the case of

MSK, it is not mandatory for marketers in Kenya to be members of MSK as lack of

membership does not exclude them from many opportunities. This has also increased the

number of non-renewals as some members join or renew their membership when a certain

job or tender requires them to do so and after that they discontinue their membership.

Over the last two decades no apparent research has been done at MSK to assess the impact

of the society’s activities on both current and potential members as well as the society in

general. Thus, this formed the basis of concern and a need for the study with an aim to assess

the various strategies that MSK had adopted in remaining competitive, growing its market

share and increasing its relevance to the marketing profession in Kenya.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The study sought to assess the impact of the strategies adopted by professional bodies in

growing and regulating the various professions they represent with a specific bias to the

marketing profession in Kenya.

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1.4 Research Questions

The study was guided by the following research questions:

1.4.1 What is the value of professional bodies in Kenya?

1.4.2 What challenges do professional bodies in Kenya face?

1.4.3 What strategies can professional bodies adopt to ensure sustainability?

1.5 Importance of the Study

The findings of this study will be significant to a number of stakeholders, who can use it in

their decision making processes or as a source of literature review for other research projects.

1.5.1 Management of MSK

The study will be presented to the management of MSK, to guide their decision making in

and help them to review the current strategies and identify gaps that they need to cover. The

study can also be used as a backdrop for future research efforts at MSK.

1.5.2 Other Professional Bodies

This study will be helpful to other professional bodies seeking to evaluate their impact and

grow their relevance for the various professions they represent especially those in Kenya.

1.5.3 Members and Potential Members of MSK

The study will also be beneficial to members and potential members as their feedback will be

incorporated in the findings which will guide the management in coming up with strategies

that will increase the value of their membership.

1.5.4 Other Researchers and Academicians

Despite the fact that the data collected and analyzed for this research, has a bias in marketing

profession in the Kenyan context, it can be used as a source of reference and information to

further the study on the assessment of other professional bodies.

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1.6 Scope of the Study

The sample of this population comprised of MSK members and professional bodies within

Nairobi. The samples were defined from the sampling frame of MSK members gathered from

the MSK membership database and from a listing of the professional bodies on the APSEA

website. The whole study was carried out in the month of June, 2014.

The limitation of this scope was that, the elements that made it to the sample were selected

out of the researcher’s judgment and convenience and thus not all the elements of the

population stood an equal chance of being selected to the sample. In addition, the study did

not incorporate feedback from MSK members who were not within Nairobi.

1.7 Definition of Terms

1.7.1 Charter

Refers to a written document that gives a body or an association power to regulate a

profession and which is recognized by the general public, the law and the government

(McKinstry, 2013).

1.7.2 Continuous Professional Development

It is a career-long process by which professional associations provide organized learning

activities to improve and broaden member’s knowledge and is sometimes tied to formal

requirements such as 35CPD hours a year (African Health Profession Regulatory, 2012).

1.7.3 Marketing

According to the American Marketing Association (AMA) marketing is defined as an

organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering

value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the

organization and its stakeholders (Stephen, 2008).

1.7.4 Mask-match

Is the human resource recruitment service offered by MSK (MSK, 2014).

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1.7.5 Monitoring and Evaluation

Monitoring is an on-going function which informs management of the progress on initiatives

undertaken while evaluation is a one-time event that analyzes systematically how a certain

outcome has been achieved. Thus, monitoring and evaluation help firms to establish the

relation between past, present and future interventions and outcomes (United Nations

Development Program [UNDP], 2002).

1.7.6 Profession

It is a calling that requires one to acquire specialized knowledge and often entails long and

intensive academic preparation (Sutherland, 2012).

1.7.7 Professional Association /Society/ Body

A professional association (PA) is defined as a non-profit organization that is created to

further the interests of a particular profession by catering to the needs of both the

professionals in that field and the public at large (Thomas, Hegarty, Whitman and

MacGregor, 2012).

1.7.8 Strategic Management

It is an organized effort by a firm's management to help position the firm in its environment

and to prepare it from facing challenges occasioned by unforeseen circumstances (Mintzberg,

1998).

1.7.9 Sustainability

It is a long-term effort by firms to meet the needs of today without compromising on the

ability of future needs being met (Bonn and Fisher, 2011).

1.8 Chapter Summary

This chapter gives a brief overview of MSK, its incorporation, its vision, mission and

mandate. It also provides the background of the study which explores the existence of

professional associations, the statement of the problem which explains some of the issues that

professional associations are currently facing, it gives the purpose of the study, that provides

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a justification for carrying out the research, it also states the research question, explains the

scope of the study and provides a definition of technical terms.

Chapter two will focus on the literature review aimed to gathering information to answer the

research questions. Chapter three describes the methodology adopted for the study. Chapter

four present the findings of the survey based on the analysis conducted. Chapter five presents

a discussion on the findings, draws conclusions and makes recommendations for

improvement and for future research.

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CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Introduction

This chapter seeks to review relevant theoretical and empirical literature that will help

address the research questions; What is the value of professional bodies in Kenya? What

challenges are professional bodies in Kenya facing? What strategies can professional bodies

adopt to ensure sustainability? The chapter ends by presenting a summary of the chapter.

2.2 Perceived and Actual Value of Professional Associations

This section seeks to explore some of the benefits that members of professional associations

derive as part of their membership to their respective representing bodies. Members join

professional bodies with the aim of getting a return on their investment in time and resources.

When members receive the value they intended, then they become more committed to the

association and thereby also promote the professional association (Huang, 2009; Oppenheim

and Pollecutt, 2000).

2.2.1 Learning Orientation

A learning oriented association continuously creates opportunities for members to share and

gain new knowledge through education or training, networking events and forums, access to

industry reports and research. Adopting a learning orientation can give the association a

competitive advantage by acting as an incentive to encourage members to join or renew their

lapsed membership (Milton, 2003).

By providing learning opportunities, the associations nurture their members thereby helping

them move up their career or business ladders which in turn increases their commitment to

the association. The learning platforms should also provide a platform for the experienced

professionals to give back to the profession by way of sharing their knowledge, experiences

and/or research findings at the association’s forums, events and communication platforms.

The learning opportunities should not only be tied to member’s contributions but they should

also allow for non-members to make their contributions to the profession and to participate in

their initiatives (Sutherland, 2012).

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Associations should create enough platforms through their events and activities, for their

members to develop strong internal networks and to grow their individual and corporate

brands. Each initiative should provide the members a chance to network, gain and develop

new skills as well as the opportunity to acquire and share new knowledge. The initiatives

could be either social for example team building activities or professional such as

conferences (Merriam & Brockett, 2007).

2.2.2 Growth Opportunities

In order to give the professional a better outlook, the association is tasked with the

responsibility of sharpening the member’s skills and competencies to ensure the members

perform at their upmost peak. The association is thus the foundation for indispensable items

such as ongoing training programs, research findings, trends shaping the industry and events.

Members should be in a position to find a whole range of self-advancement opportunities that

grow their social as well as professional lives (Long, 2012; Huang, 2009).

Associations should create formal or informal channels for personal and business growth

through existence of a healthy mentorship programs. Through the mentorship programs,

older and more experienced professionals can give back to the association through mentoring

the new professionals and students. Regardless of the age, position or experience of the

members, they can be involved in and derive value from mentorship either as mentees or

mentors (Grossman, 2012).

Thus, the association should provide as many formal and informal growth opportunities as it

possibly can on a regular basis so that the members gain a higher appreciation of their

membership. Such opportunities include but are not limited to: inviting the members to

facilitate trainings, giving them a platform to share their research findings, requesting them to

write for the association’s magazine amongst others. By doing so, the association gives the

member an invaluable platform for growth and recognition by his or her peers (Thomas,

2012).

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2.2.3 Unifying the Profession

The association brings together individuals and firms that operate in a specific profession in

different capacities under one umbrella body with an aim of representing their needs and

unifying the profession. Associations establish a unified culture for the profession through

institutionalizing a code of conduct to be followed by all members, establishing the required

criteria for education and performance and in spearheading the change and innovation efforts

in the profession (Lamb, 2012).

By unifying the profession, the umbrella body is tasked with the responsibility to speak and

address issues affecting its industry and thereby increase its ability to influence the external

environment. Unifying the profession also helps to create a sense of pride for the

professionals as well as reinforces the identity, values and beliefs of the profession. The

unified culture in any profession will help boost its status and acceptability in the society,

thereby leading to more trust from those it represents and the general public (Reeve, 2007).

2.2.4 Student Members Benefit

Student members join professional associations with the hope getting opportunities that will

align and streamline them for the careers they are interested in and their future professional

development goals. Some of the most common benefits students seek include placements at

internship and job positions, mentorship by the more experienced professionals, skill and

knowledge advancement platforms and networking (Peltier, Scovotti, and Pointer, 2008).

The associations boost student members’ competitiveness by opening them up to real-life and

practical experiences that will shape their view of the profession. By so doing the students’

are able to understand what the field requires from them and to assess if it fits their ultimate

career desires. Through this the students’ are able to understand some of the problems in the

field and thus they are more capacitated to come up with practical solutions to the problems.

Student members, who are able to get value from their association, are most likely to

transition to life-long members and good will ambassadors for the association (Evetts, 2003).

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There is an increasingly growing trend of young people who are not staying in their jobs for

over three years in search of new opportunities and more exciting careers. Thus, today

students are no longer getting qualifications that prepare them for life-long careers but are

instead opting for qualifications that allow them more flexibility and more access to a wider

pool of careers. Thus the association, should ensure it channels the students in the right

direction so that the association continues to maintain its relevance with the hope that the

student members will eventually replace the older members who have/ are retiring (Lenton,

2010).

2.2.5 Return on Investment

Most professional associations require members to pay a certain amount for registration to

their membership and continually to pay renewal fee after a specific time period lapses. The

fee should not be too restrictive in such a way that it locks out a huge number of potential

members. The associations should give value commensurate to or over and above the fee

paid by providing clear support systems for their members (Lamb, 2012).

The associations must directly or indirectly be seen to provide business opportunities through

which their members can gain and get a return on their investment in the membership. The

membership to the association should open up doors for better recognition as a qualified

professional, product or service provider. Thus, in this way, the associations must partner

with the right procurement and recruitment agencies especially for government to make

possession of the industry's association membership a mandatory requirement for

subscription to any tenders (Bonanno, 2013).

2.2.6 Protecting Industry Reputation

By defining the industry's code of ethics and requiring members of the society to be bound

by it, the association helps in creating and maintaining a good reputation for its industry. As

the regulatory body for the profession, the association should adopt and implement strategies

that are in the best interest of their member as well as the general public. While personal

benefits such as job alerts, being kept up to date with the latest information and provision of

networking activities are the very important elements of an association, the association must

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lobby for issues that the members are concerned about. Thus, it is important that the PAs are

at the forefront when it comes to representing their members and the profession in matters of

public interest and in the review and reform of policies affecting their sector (Fisher, 1997).

For an association to be in a position to enforce the code of ethics on all practicing

professionals, it must be chartered and in possession of the right control over the industry.

The association should also stipulate the corrective procedures for dealing with problems

and also instigate disciplinary measures and sanctions against those who do not comply with

its code of conducts. To improve the association’s attractiveness and thereby protect the

industry, the association needs to be financially sustainable (Albrecht, Mallagueno, Holland,

and Sanders, 2012).

2.2.7 Caring for the Society

The associations are required to ensure that they provide value to their members and also

ensure that they also add value to the public at large. The association should be at the fore of

addressing concerns arising from their industry such as depletion of resources and waste

management. In caring for the society, the associations should also ensure that the

professionals and businesses they register are competent and that they meet the required

criteria for membership. The impact of this is that, the society will benefit from having

qualified and competent people and organizations to deliver services to them. This also stems

from the fact that members are required to abide by a professional code of conduct which in

most cases requires that those bound by it, give the most benefit to the clients (Oppenheim

and Pollecutt, 2000).

The society should be at the forefront in ensuring that they grow the trust of the general

public in the association by registering only rightly qualified people. In order to do this, the

association must carry out rigorous background checks on any aspiring members to ensure

they meet the set criteria. On enrolling the members the society should also ensure that the

members are strictly bound by the code of ethics and that they continually evaluate their

members based on their service and product delivery (Prathen, Ashford and Manchester

Metropolitan University, 2001).

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2.3 Challenges facing Professional Bodies

Professional bodies are continually faced with the challenge of ensuring that they become

and remain relevant to their members and also the society at large as well as become

sustainable. Thus, this section explores some of the challenges that professional associations

encounter and that hinder them from effectively delivering on their mandate (Ghosh, 2006).

2.3.1 Tighter Budgets and Funding Constraints

The increased cost of living and doing business around the world, has forced individuals and

organizations to re-think and evaluate the value that they derive from the associations and

how this ultimately helps them achieve their goals. Members are also faced with the

challenge of several other competing needs for their already tight budgets. Thus, the

associations need to make their membership fee non-restrictive as this acts as a key factor in

deciding whether to take up or renew their membership especially for associations that are

not chartered and thus membership is on free will or perceived value (Wilson, 1997).

Some professional associations rely heavily on membership subscription as the major source

of revenue. Membership fee is not always a reliable revenue stream especially for non-

chartered associations where membership is by free will and thus some associations are

forced to rely on government or donor funding as the revenue raised from membership

subscriptions is not adequate enough to fit the needs of running the association. Associations

that face a funding challenge are in most cases unable to develop the necessary support

systems that their members require and which could potentially drive down the perceived

value of their membership (Carnegie and O’Connell, 2012).

2.3.2 Lack of a Charter

Chartering an association, brings it closer to becoming a monopoly over the industry as it

gives the PA the exclusive mandate to run initiatives, speak on behalf of and lobby on issues

pertaining to the industry through recognition by the state. Associations that are therefore not

chartered do not have as much clout as chartered associations in regards to influencing

policies and directives on the industry, recruiting members as well as a sense of respect and

appreciation from the members. Some members only join professional associations just

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because it is a requirement for them to be in a position to practice in that particular industry.

Thus in such cases, the association is not guaranteed of a consistent revenue stream from

membership as members join on a voluntary basis (McKinstry, 2014).

Lack of a charter makes it difficult to streamline the industry as everyone even non-members

of the association can practice. This opens up the profession to practice by non-qualified

professionals or businesses which may end up tainting the image of the association and the

profession by poor delivery. A chartered association gives the members a sense of prestige in

their practice by locking out the unqualified professionals or businesses (O’regan, 2008).

The professional bodies serve as an important platform for lobbying government on issues

and policies that are relevant to the society. However, without a charter an associations effort

to lobby on behalf of the profession may not get adequate or desired response. For a very

long time there has also been tension between the benefits that members receive from the

lobbying functions of the association and the role of the association to represent the business

interests on behalf of their members (Bennetta and Robsonb, 2011).

2.3.3 Competition

Uncertainty, high competition and quickly changing dynamics have become key trends in the

business environment of any organization and thus must be taken into consideration whilst

preparing and implementing strategies for an association. Competition on the associations

front, is normally as a result of break-offs from the main profession or the rise of new

occupations and thus it is important that the associations keep analyzing their environment so

that they are able to gather intelligence on existing or potential competitors (both direct and

indirect). The information to be gathered should be based on three key issues; the products of

the competition, the market share of the competition and the strategies that they have adopted

(Gold et al, 2002).

Competition for associations also arises from the internet. Today, we are living in a highly

connected world and at the touch of a button it is very easy to access a lot of information.

Thus professionals do not have to be members of any association to benefit from it or to get

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information it as the internet will in most cases give free and readily available information.

Also through the internet, professionals can join bodies from different countries which they

believe they can derive more value than what their local body provides them (ICAEW and

CECCAR, 2012).

Professional associations also face competition from institutions of higher learning that offer

the similar services through training. International Council of Archives (2010) suggests that

partnerships which allow for revenue share between the associations and these institutions

should be formed as they eat into the market share of the associations. The institutions

competition may be based on the caliber of services offered, the fee structure, the flexibility

of classes and the access to a wider non-limited variety of courses. The competition is more

felt by associations that do not have a charter and thus they do not have control over what is

taught in different institutions (Newgass, 2000).

2.3.4 Membership Satisfaction and Retention

Associations especially those that are chartered, tend not to review or have platforms to

engage with their members on their membership experience. Research is one of the most

important tools for strategic decision-making that is under-utilized by the associations.

Members who would like to give their feedback to the association, and do not get the chance

to do so, may end up not appreciating their membership thereby leading them to opting out

especially if leaving the association has no professional, business or legal consequences

(Thomas, Chitra and Satpathi, 2010).

The associations exist to serve their members and thus when they do not seek member

feedback for incorporation into their strategies, it leads to high dissatisfaction. Lack of

incorporating members feedback would also result in poorly guided strategies as the

management will adopt strategies based on what they need or want to achieve which may be

in conflict with what the members need. Dissatisfied members, may opt not to renew their

membership or not to engage in the association's activities thereby reducing on the revenue

stream into the association. Satisfied members, act as goodwill ambassadors for the

association, thereby encouraging other people to join. Dissatisfied members on the other

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hand, will pass bad word of mouth based on their experience to other potential members who

will reconsider or decide to not join the association (Philip, 2008).

In non-charted associations, the challenges has always been providing the member with value

and giving them a reason to renew their membership. This is occasioned by the fact that

some people just join or renew their membership when there is an urgent need such as a

requirement to apply for a job or a tender. Just like in any other business, retention of

members is as a result of concerted customer relationship management as well as delivering

on the promises they make. The associations must continually give their members reasons to

re-invest in their membership (Bennetta and Robsonb, 2011).

2.3.5 Governance

The governance of any association could lead to its success or downfall. In most associations,

the positions to the board of directors are filled via election of members by members. This

serves as a major hindrance to effective strategic planning because those elected in most

cases will lack experience in other professional fields where important decisions must be

made and thus they may overlook some important aspects. The aspect of electing officials,

may also sometimes lead to non-qualified representatives being elected to the positions

because of their charisma and they end up not adding value to the association (Lenton, 2010).

The governance of any association is responsible for informing the strategic decisions

implemented by the association. However, in some instances, you will find that the top

management or governance come up with the strategies but do not ensure that there are

sufficient resources to implement the plans and neither do they follow-up or review the

strategies being implemented by the secretariat. The impact of such governance is having

good policy and strategy papers which remain unimplemented thereby leading to slow or no

growth in the profession (Newgass, 2000).

When there is no cohesiveness in the top governance of the association this infiltrates to the

profession and causes disintegration in the profession which sometimes results in revolt

associations by the dissatisfied members. The impact of such poor management is that the

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association becomes fragmented with members taking sides and thus killing the unity of the

profession. Lack of cohesiveness also limits the growth of the profession and the association

as decisions cannot be made with ease and when made the decisions are not fully

representative of the entire governance. The poor unity is sometimes caused by selfish people

who have personal interests that they would like to drive through the association. Poor

governance, may also lead to a lack of trust from the general public whom the profession

serves (ICAEW and CECCAR, 2012).

2.3.6 Turbulent Business Environments

The association operates in an external environment over which it has no control. The

environmental factors these days change very rapidly with new and emerging trends that

keep changing. The turbulent business environment is highly as a result of globalization and

high adoption and ease of access to technology. Thus, the association must keep adapting its

strategies to fit the environment and to be relevant. This sometimes is expensive for some

associations which already have constrained budgets and thus this hinders them from

achieving their desired objectives and delivering full value to all their stakeholders (Evetts,

2003).

Since associations cannot operate in isolation from their environment, they are forced to bear

the consequences of the changes in the environment and to constantly review their strategy.

In environments where the changes occur rapidly then it becomes difficult and expensive for

the association to keep up with the changes as some changes destabilize the strategies

adopted and make them irrelevant. This, then impacts the overall success of the association

especially in cases where the available funds are limited (Thomas et al., 2010).

Due to the continual changes in the environment, it is becoming increasingly important for

professionals to specialize in their career paths. This extreme specialization is leading to an

increase in the number of people specialized in a certain field thereby leading to the need for

formation of new and more representative associations which eventually break off from the

mother career. This then increases the competition and eats into the market share of the

20

existing association from which the break off takes shape (Arendale, Barrow, Carpenter,

Hodges, McGrath and Newell 2010).

2.4 Sustainable Strategies Professional Bodies should Adopt

A strong association prides itself in having flexible strategies that allow it to react quickly

and adapt when there are new unanticipated challenges and changes in the environment.

Thus, they should continuously analyze the environment they operate in (Bonn and Fisher,

2011). This section thus aims to explore some of the sustainable strategies that professional

associations should implement for long-term and overall success of their vision.

2.4.1 Chartered Status

An association acquires a charter through recognition and acceptance by the state as the voice

of the profession. A charter gives an association more legitimacy and power to deal with

issues affecting the profession, offer solutions and to influence the policies on both private

and public matters that influence the direction of the profession. The Charter also makes it

compulsory for all business and individual practitioners in the profession to be registered

under the association, failure to which the association can take legal action against them

(Smith, 2002).

Through the state recognition the associations are well able to designate their schemes, so as

to have professional registration which is accompanied by continuing professional

development and ultimately leading to the need for members to revalidate their membership.

The charter creates a mandate for the association through the state recognition to have formal

oversight over the profession, create a database registry of professionals in the specific field,

create and manage opportunities for members, access and disseminate pertinent information

to the members, create accreditation for all members of the profession as well as develop and

maintain a recognized framework for continuing professional development (Broady-Preston,

2011).

By acquiring a chartered status, an association is able to implement desired activities,

regulations and policies to govern the industry successfully. This is especially so, in the case

21

of practitioners who may not have the self-drive to participate. A charter as a compulsory

tool, ties consequences to non-commitment of the members to the Code of Ethics aimed at

promoting professionalism (Lynch, Hennesy and Gleeson, 2013).

2.4.2 Member Revalidation

For previously non-chartered associations, when they acquire their chartered status they

should call on their members to re-validate their membership. In re-validation, all the

registered members are given a specific time-frame in which they are supposed to have

acquired and applied knew knowledge relevant to their field of practice, after which, their

membership is re-considered or revoked after an evaluation by the association management.

Re-validation helps to show that an individual is maintaining and applying the knowledge,

skills, attributes and ethics of their respective profession in their daily work life. Re-

validation enhances the global outlook of the profession and helps them members to progress

faster in their careers. It is also important in that it drives members to maintain and develop

their professional knowledge beyond the original qualifications of entry (Broady-Preston,

2011).

In a view to delivering value to all the stakeholders of the association, it is important for the

associations to have regular discussions with all its key stakeholders. The discussions should

be a focal point for collection of feedback that should be used to evaluate the effectiveness of

the association in achieving its set objectives and to gain insights on gaps in the market that

they should address. Associations should constantly review the relevance of their existence

and the products that they present to their members. They should examine the potential for

the association to grow as well as review the impact of their communication to the members

and the results it has given (Lenton, 2010).

2.4.3 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Programs

Through CPD initiatives, members of an association are required to meet certain hours of

professional development through their participation in several initiatives as a contractual

condition for their advancement in the profession. CPD programs encourage members to

have healthy competition as they advance their knowledge and boost their skills. Every

22

member of the association should make it their personal responsibility to acquire new

knowledge, share best case practices with the other professionals and enhance the

development of the profession (Reeves, 2007).

For a CPD program to be sustainable and to bear results, it is important that the

representatives of the association consult with their members on annual basis on what they

want to achieve and how to track the progress. Thus, the member must have a progress track

sheet, that shows the activities they have engaged in and the key learning’s from each as well

as a record showing new skills developed. The management should then use the reports from

the track sheets to evaluate the impact of their programs to the members and to advise on

how well their strategies are working or which need to be changed (Broady-Preston, 2011;

Caroll, 2009).

Though not all members appreciate the compulsory CPD initiatives as they are required to

invest their time and resources to the initiatives, it is a worthwhile investment especially to

the employers as their staff will always be well equipped, knowledgeable and up to date with

the latest trends and skills necessary to perform at their peak. CPD initiatives are also

relevant to those in self-employment as it helps them to better manage their businesses and

be informed on the latest in the field. Through the CPD initiatives, members also get a

chance to interact and learn from each other as they create new social and professional

networks (Nerland and Karseth, 2013).

2.4.4 Strategic Partnerships

Due to globalization, it is become increasingly important for associations to partner with

other professional bodies, organizations and institutions so as to leverage on their platforms

as well as resources. In choosing strategic partners, the association should ensure that the

members are able to derive value from the chosen partners and the partnerships help them

deliver on their objectives. The local associations should ensure that they are in partnership

or are members of the global bodies that represent their profession so that members are able

to have access to the best practices and new information from people around the world (Gold

et al., 2002).

23

Professional bodies should engage universities and other institutions of higher learning in

strategic partnerships with an aim of getting students to be involved in the association’s

activities at the earliest possible chance. By doing so, the association ensures a better

transition for the students to the profession. The partnerships could be through accreditation

of the courses offered, joint course programs or by helping the students to create or improve

their student clubs in its areas of interest (Lenton, 2010).

It is important for every organization to ensure that it has wide-spread coverage of the

different geographic regions in its turf through having operating chapters which act as its

strategic outreach arm and increases the chances of getting more partners from different parts

of the state . Local chapters act as the operational branches of the association constituted by

members who meet the membership criteria, in regions where it does not have offices. The

chapters help to spearhead the agenda of the association in the various regions thereby

increasing its relevance and reach. The small local chapters act in similar capacity as the

mother associations and thus they should create forums where members can network, learn

from each other and engage on pertinent issues that affect them. Lack of local chapters could

make potential members in areas away from the main center of operation re-consider joining

the association (Arendale et al., 2010).

2.4.5 Governance and Exclusive Membership Benefits

One of the highest undoing of professional associations is that their main boards are

composed of members of the same profession, some of whom may not operate at strategic

positions in the companies they work for. This could lead to serious misguiding in the

strategic direction of the organization as the board may overlook issues in other disciplines

that could affect the body. To aid in ensuring only the right people are at the helm of the

association's leadership, some of the key action steps could include: having a minimum

requirement that everyone running for council position must be operating at a strategic level

in their job with the executive board appointed on merit rather than through election (Lynch

et al., 2012).

24

Associations need to have benefits that are exclusive to their members that make non-

members desire to join the association. These opportunities could include but not be limited

to, the professional advancement and events specific for members only. The opportunities

give the members a good reason to be part of the association as well as increase their desire

for networking (Lamb, 2012).

In also adding value to members there should be a price differential between what members

pay and what non-members pay where opportunities are open to both members and non-

members. The price differential makes membership a worthwhile investment for non-

members who would like to enjoy the membership discounts (Thomas, 2012).

2.4.7 Technology and Communication

Members join the associations hoping to access the latest industry news and information. It is

thus, important for associations to be the leading authoritative source of information about

their profession. The professional association of the future needs to be a journalist, an editor,

a digital content manager, a researcher, a trainer and a curator — gathering, synthesizing and

providing quality information and learning resources for their members and disseminating it

in a timely and appropriate manner. Amongst the most common ways of associations

reaching to their members, potential members and the external public, is through the

professional association’s representation at various fora and activities, traditional media and

through their communication systems such as emails and newsletters. Word of mouth

referrals from friends, colleagues or employers are also very common as well as the rise and

adoption of digital media in today's world (Bonanno, 2013).

With the rapid growth and adoption of technology world over associations have now been

presented with a variety of ways of reaching to their members and other people all over the

world at affordable rates. Associations are today investing in regularly updated multimedia

websites, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in a bid to reaching their consumers on the

avenues where they are most easily found. These mediums have increased the rate of

interaction between the members and the societies as they operate in real-time and also

feedback from both the consumer and the association can be exchanged. Facebook Pages and

25

Groups provide an opportunity for friendly interactions as well as discussions between

professionals. Twitter and Linked are among the easiest ways to reach many people with

messages from the association and to directly involve the members in marketing the

associations to their followers without necessarily spending significant time or monetary

resources (Carayyanis, Clark and Valvi, 2012: Lamb, 2012).

As the world over is going digital, associations should consider acquiring and utilizing new

technologies to distribute materials and information more effectively and run some of their

products and/or services on the technologies for better efficiency. Some of the technologies

that could be leveraged on, could be a website that has e-learning systems, membership

registration systems and information download features. Through e-learning systems, the

associations can reach out to more people in different places in the world as well as allow for

greater international mobility and flexibility for its current and potential members. Through

e-learning the associations could also benefit greatly from information from other bodies in

the world, which they can then partner with for the benefit of their members (Lenton, 2010).

2.5 Chapter Summary

This chapter has presented a pertinent literature review on membership to professional

associations, the challenges faced and the strategies that should be adopted. Arising from the

review, various issues touching on membership to the professional associations have been

presented. The literature on value to members, emphasizes the importance of associations

being there to represent the profession and more so the needs of their members. The literature

on challenges brings out different challenges with (most tied to the presence or absence of a

charter) which hinder the associations from achieving their objective while the review on

strategies highly emphasizes the importance of a charter and other compulsory programs.

Following the literature review it is thus important that this research provides empirical

evidence to substantiate the issues raised. The next chapter will present relevant research

methods that were used to conduct the research in order to answer the research questions

raised.

26

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3.1 Introduction

This chapter describes the methodology that was used to conduct this study so as to answer

the questions raised in chapter one and therefore presents the following: research design,

population and sampling design (sampling frame, sampling technique and sample size), data

collection method, the research procedure and data analysis (Cooper and Schindler, 2011).

The chapter concludes in a summary.

3.2 Research Design

According to Cooper and Schindler (2011), research design is a plan that guides the time

scope and gives a practical guideline of the activities that should be implemented in the

research process with a view of answering the research question. Further, they state that the

research design gives a clear direction on how to select the various sources and types of

information required and defines the relationship among the variables of study.

This particular study employed a descriptive research design which aims to answer the who,

what, where, which, when or how of the research problem. According to Walker (1996),

through a descriptive research, the researcher can identify and explain variables in a given

situation and also explain the relationship that exists between the variables. The descriptive

research design was best suited for this study which aimed to assess the strategies that were

adopted by MSK in acquiring and retaining their members as well as proper positioning.

Primary data was gathered through a survey where each of the respondents was required to

fill in a pre-tested questionnaire to which their privacy was guaranteed. The independent

variables in this study were: value of professional bodies, challenges faced by professional

bodies and strategies adopted by professional bodies. The dependent variable was the overall

impact of the management of professional bodies.

27

3.3 Population and Sampling Design

3.3.1 Population

Duncombe and Boateng (2009), define a population as the sum of all the elements about

which the researcher intends to make assumptions. In order to address all the questions of

this research, the respondents for this study were drawn from marketing professionals

currently registered under MSK and based on the MSK membership database as well as

representatives from different professional bodies operating in Kenya as registered under the

APSEA website.

3.3.2 Sampling Design

3.3.2.1 Sampling Frame

A sampling frame is the register of all the population elements from which the sample will be

drawn and which must be closely related to the population (Ducombe and Boateng, 2009).

The sampling frames to be used for this study were drawn from the MSK database of

approximately 5000 members and the professional associations list was drawn from a listing

of 28 professional associations as per the APSEA website (APSEA, 2014).

3.3.2.2 Sampling Technique

A sampling technique refers to the method that is used to select the members of a sample.

The members of the sample are selected using either probability or non-probability

procedures. This study adopted non-probability sampling for both group of respondents.

Judgment non-probability sampling was adopted for the MSK members based on the premise

that they had interacted with MSK in the past three years and thus were able to give current

and relevant feedback. Judgment sampling is based on the researcher's previous experience

of the group based on some required characteristics of the members. The selection of the

professional bodies was based on convenience sampling where elements that made it to the

final sample were elements that were easily available at the time of the research (Walker,

1996).

28

3.3.2.3 Sample Size

A sample size is a smaller grouping of the entire population under consideration and which

should characteristically resemble or reflect the entire population so as to aid in making

generalizable conclusions. The choice of a sample size is affected by several factors such as:

the variance in the population, the desired precision of the estimate, required level of

confidence, the range of error allowed, the number of subgroups of interest within a sample

and the cost of the research (De Vaus, 1991).Yamane’s formula with a confidence level of

95% and a confidence of interval of 7 was applied to determine sample size as below:

n = N/ I + N (e)2.

Where:

n = Sample Size

N = Population of MSK Members / Population of professional bodies

e= Confidence interval

Sample Size for MSK Members:

n= 5000/ [1+ (5000(0.7)2] = 196 (rounded off to the nearest 100) 200 MSK Members

Sample Size for Professional Association:

n= 28/ [1+ (28(0.7)2] = 20 associations

The distribution is as in the tables below:

Table 3.1: Sample Size Distribution

Category Population Sample Size Percentage

MSK Members 5000 200 4%

Professional Associations 28 20 36%

3.4 Data Collection Methods

According to Cooper and Schindler (2011), data collection methods refer to the process of

gathering data after the researcher has identified the types of information needed (the

research questions that the study must answer) and the type of data required (ordinal,

interval, scale or nominal) for each question. The researcher must also ensure that each

29

element selected to make it to the sample is well able to articulate their thoughts, ideas and

experiences.

This study collected primary data necessary to answering the research questions through

survey methods; by the use of pre-tested self-administered structured questionnaires. The

structured questionnaire was preferred because it allowed the researcher to share the same set

of questions which were already in a pre-determined order to all respondents to obtain the

most information from them through limited space . Independent close-ended questionnaires

were created for the different groups of respondents. Close-ended questionnaires were

preferred as they were easier to code and analyze (Duncombe and Boateng, 2009).

The members questionnaire had three sections; general demographic information, the

perceived and actual value of MSK to the members and the strategies that MSK should

adopt. The questionnaire for professional bodies had three sections; general demographic

information, challenges faced by the bodies and the strategies they had adopted. This study

employed the use of an interval scale which could be used on nominal and ordinal data and

had the advantage of equality of interval through a scaled distance (Cooper and Schindler,

2011). The rating scale that was used to analyze section 2 and 3 for both the members

questionnaire and the professional bodies was the Likert Scale as shown Table 3.2:

Table 3.2: Likert Scale

LEVELS OF AGREEMENT

NOT

APPLICABLE

STRONGLY

AGREE

AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE STRONGLY

DISAGREE

(6) (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

3.5 Research Procedure

A pilot test was carried out on 10 MSK members and 3 representatives of professional

bodies to help in evaluating the completeness, accuracy, ease of clarity and response. The

feedback received from the pilot test was incorporated into the final questionnaire and

permission sought from the CEO of MSK to conduct the survey on behalf of MSK.

30

The questionnaires were administered to some MSK members and representatives from the

professional bodies through hand delivery and in some cases via email. To ensure a high

response rate and assure respondents of confidentiality, the researcher attached a cover letter

to the final questionnaire explaining the purpose of the study. The researcher also constantly

followed up with the respondents to whom the questionnaires had been administered. The

feedback was collected over a period of three and a half weeks.

3.6 Data Analysis Method

In order to make decisions following the research that has been done, managers require

analyzed information and not the raw data (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). Analysis of the

results from the research, helps to provide answers and increase the knowledge of the

decision makers through information that can be verified after interpretation of the data

analysis process (De Vaus, 1991).

Since the respondents were choosing their preferred answer for each question, the analysis of

their answers was done using statistical analysis. The data collected in this study was

analyzed using descriptive statistics so as to help in describing the collection, organization

and summary of the data. The statistical analysis was used to draw inferences about the

population from the sample as well as to review the relationships among the variables

through measures of association such as correlation and regression analysis. The Statistical

Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) was used as the tool of data analysis. The findings were

presented using tables and figures.

3.7 Chapter Summary

This chapter has explained the research methodology that was used for this research. The

study adopted a descriptive research design where primary data was collected from the

targeted sample using self-administered structured questionnaires that had been pre-tested.

The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics via the SPSS Software from which the

information gathered was presented in form of tables and figures. The next chapter will focus

on the findings and results of the study.

31

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 RESULTS AND FINDINGS

4.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings from the primary data that was collected via a

questionnaire issued to respondents. The study aimed to find out what value members seek in

professional bodies, the challenges professional bodies face and some of the strategies that

they should adopt to ensure sustainability. Each of the 2 types of questionnaires had 3

sections; section 1 covered general demographic information while section 2 and 3 attempt to

answer the research questions presented in Chapter 1. The findings were based on an analysis

of the data collected through the use of the SPSS software.

A total of 20 representatives from other professional bodies were interviewed and all of them

responded creating an effective response rate of 100%. On the other hand a total of 200

questionnaires were distributed to specific MSK members and 143 had given their feedback

by the time of data analysis, thereby, creating a response rate of 71.5%. The response rate is

as shown in table 4.1.

Table 4.1: Response Rate

Group of respondents Targeted Respondents Response Rate Percentage

MSK Members 200 143 71.5%

Professional Bodies 20 20 100%

4.2 General Information

Since they were 2 questionnaires targeted at different groups, each questionnaire was tailor

made to suit the information needed. The questionnaire on members sought to address the

following demographic issues: gender of respondent, respondent's age bracket, respondent's

professional level, and respondent’s employment status, respondent's type of membership

and for how long they had been members of MSK.

32

The questionnaire on professional bodies sought to answer the following demographic issues:

type of membership association, years of existence, size of membership database and

products or services they offer, the chartered status, and the type of accreditation.

4.2.1 Demographic Information - MSK Members

4.2.1.1 Gender of Respondents

The research results show that there was a fair balance of both male (51.7%) and female

(48.3%) respondents who returned the questionnaires and this is as shown in the Table 4.2

below.

Table 4.2: Gender of Respondents

Frequency Percentage

Male 69 48.3

Female 74 51.7

Total 143 100.0

4.2.1.2 Employment Status

The findings indicate that the higher majority of MSK members at 52.2% is employed,

followed closely by those who are self-employed at 28%, those who are neither employed

nor self-employed stood at 14.7% with a non-response rate of 2.1%. These results thus

showed that majority of the members are in the corporate world either through employment

or running their own businesses. Results for the same are as shown in Table 4:3 below:

Table 4.3: Employment Status


Employed 79 55.2

Sel-employed 40 28.0

Not employed 21 14.7

Missing Responses 3 2.1

Total 143 100.0

33

4.2.1.3 Professional Level

From the analysis of the data, the highest majority of members were in senior management

(57%), followed by those in middle management (43%). 19.6 % of the members were in the

entry level while 8.4 % of the respondents were students. There was also 2.1% of missing

data that could not be edited during the data clean up. Results are as shown in Table 4.4:

Table 4.4: Member's Professional Level


Student 12 8.4

Entry 28 19.6

Middle Management 43 30.1

Senior Management 57 39.8

Missing Response 3 2.1

Total 143 100.0

4.2.1.4 Age Bracket

From the results of the study, majority (25.2%) of the respondents were aged between 35-44,

this was closely followed by respondents in the 25-34 age bracket at (24.5%), followed by a

tie between the respondents in age group below 25 and those between 45-54 at 18.9%. There

were a few respondents(11.2%) in the age group between 55-64 and the lowest representation

was that of the above 65 at 1.4%. The results are as shown in Table 4.5:

Table 4.5: Age Bracket


Below 25 27 18.9

25-34 35 24.5

35-44 36 25.2

45-54 27 18.9

55-64 16 11.2

Above 64 2 1.4

Total 143 100.0

34

4.2.1.5 Years of Membership at MSK

Results from the study show that 30.8% of the respondents had been members over the last

3-5 years, 28% of the respondents had been members for 1-2 years, there was a tie between

the members who were under 6months and those who were between 6months and 1 years at

14.7% and only 11.8% of the respondents had been members for over 5 years. Results are as

shown in the Table 4.6 below:

Table 4.6: Period of Membership


Below 6 months 21 14.7

6 months to 1 year 21 14.7

1-2 years 40 28

3-5 years 44 30.8

Over 5 years 17 11.8

143 100.0

4.2.1.6 Type of Membership

From the analysis the most represented group of respondents was full members at 28.6%,

followed by corporate representatives at 25.9% of the respondents. 16.8% of the respondents

were both individual members and corporate representatives. Associate members were

15.4% while student members were at 12.6%. From the general overall analysis it is clear

that the highest percentage of membership is made up by corporate and full individual

members. Results are as shown in the table below:

Table 4.7: Type of Membership


Full Individual 41 28.6

Associate Individual 22 15.4

Corporate Representative 37 25.9

Individual & Corporate Representative 24 16.8

Student Member 18 12.6


Total 143 100.0

35

4.2.3 Professional Bodies Questionnaire - Demographic Information

4.2.3.1 Type of Membership Association

From the professional bodies interviewed, majority had membership at both the corporate

and individual level at 80%, while only 15% f the respondents represented purely corporate

members with the remaining 5% representing associations that had membership at the

individual level only. Results are as shown in the table below:

Table 4.8: Type of Membership Association


Corporate 3 15

Individual 1 5

Corporate and Individual 16 80

Total 20 100

4.2.3.2 Years of Existence

In a bid to understanding the associations, the researcher sought to find out how old the

associations. From the analysis of the chosen respondent's feedback, 40% of the associations

had been in existence for over 50 years, 30% had been in existence for 40-49 years, with

20% having existed for between 30-39 years and the smallest minority of 10% having existed

for less than 20 years. Results are as in table below:

Table 4.9: Years of Existence


10-19 years 2 10

20-29 years 3 15

30-39 years 1 5

40-49 years 5 25

Above 50 years 9 45

Total 20 100

36

4.2.3.3 Size of Membership Database

The researcher sought to understand the size of the database of the respondents. Due to the

many years of existence, most of the associations seemed to have an equally big database of

members with the highest majority being of those above 4501 members represented at 70%

and a smaller minority of 30% at between 2501-4500 members. The results are as shown

below:

Table 4.10: Size of Membership Database


2501-4500 6 30

Above 4501 14 70

Total 20 100

4.2.3.4 Products/Services they Offer

Different associations offer different products that are intended to deliver value to members

and to grow their profession. From the results of the respondents; 95 % of them showed that

they had diversified their product offerings; with 65% offering all the products the research

had outlined and a further 30% offering a combination of some of the products. Only a mere

5% offered one product. Results are as per table below:

Table 4.11: Products/Services


Industry Regulation 1 5

All Products 13 65

Combination of some products 6 30

Total 20 100

4.2.3.5 Status of Charter

In order to better understand the basis of the respondent's operations, the researcher sought to

find out whether they were chartered or not. From the results, 85% were chartered while 15%

were not chartered. Results as shown below:

37

Table 4.12: Association has a Charter


Yes 17 85

No 3 15

Total 20 100

4.2.3.6 Type of Accreditation

Association’s type of accreditation determined its area of jurisdiction and its general reach.

Thus, from the results 85% had a local accreditation, 5% had an international accreditation

and10% had both local and international accreditation allowing them to reach out to more

people beyond borders. Results are as shown in table below:

Table 4.14: Type of Accreditation


Local 17 85

International 1 5

Local and International 2 10

Total 10 100

4.3. Review of Members Questionnaire

4.3.1 Perceived and Actual Value of Membership MSK

4.3.1.1 Reasons for Joining MSK

People join professional bodies based on different motivational aspects or needs. In view of

this, the researcher sought to find out some of the reasons that had motivated members to join

and ranked the results from the various reasons based on the analysis. As can be seen from

the rankings, the highest ranking reason was professional advancement which thereby means

that the associations should therefore engage in activities and provide platforms for the

members to increase their knowledge and gain skills. Networking was the second in the

ranking, which was closely followed by training at position three, peer recommendation at

position four and requirement for employment at position five. Results are as shown in table

below:

38

Table 4.14 Reasons for Joining

Reasons for Joining Mean Ranking

For Professional Advancement 4.42 1

To Network 4.32 2

For Training 4.30 3

After Peer Recommendation 3.87 4

Requirement for Employment 3.72 5

4.3.1.2 Value from MSK

Through this section, the researcher sought to review and find out how satisfied members

were with the current products offered to them. The research results from this exercise

indicate that on general, members of the profession were generally satisfied with the products

and services offered to them. From the findings, the research was able to rank the products

based on the mean. Results are as shown in table 4.15.

Table 4.15 Value from MSK

Value from MSK Mean Ranking

Value from MSK trainings 4.61 1

Value from MSK events 4.54 2

Value from Mask-match services 4.52 3

Value from Weekly Newsletter 4.31 4

Value for membership fee 4.10 5

Valuable content from MSK Sokoni Magazine 4.08 6

4.3.1.3 Recommend MSK to others

To enable the researcher to further understand the impact of MSK on its members, the

respondents were required to indicate whether they would recommend MSK to other people.

From the results, an astounding 88.9% of the respondents were positive about recommending

MSK to others. Results are as shown in the Table 4.16:

39

Table 4.16: I would recommend MSK to others


Strongly Disagree 1 0.7

Disagree 2 1.4

Neutral 9 6.3

Agree 64 44.8

Strongly Agree 63 44.1

Not Applicable 1 0.7


Total 143 100.0

4.3.2 Strategies MSK should Adopt

4.3.2.1 MSK Should Acquire a Charter

A charter is important in clearly defining the boundaries of a profession and it gives any

association the necessary control over the profession. From the analysis, 65.1% of the

members would appreciate if MSK acquired a charter there by giving the society the much

needed influence over the industry. 25.2% of the members were neutral on the acquisition of

a charter with 4.2% of the respondents indicating that a charter was not applicable for

governing MSK and a further 2.1% who did not believe that a charter was necessary for

MSK. From the analysis 3.5% of the population did not give any feedback on this question.

Details are as in the table shown below:

Table 4.17: MSK Should Acquire a Charter



Disagree 36 25.2

Neutral 23 16.1

Agree 70 49.0



Total 143 100.0

40

4.3.2.2 Members View on Adjustment of Membership Fee

To help the researcher to understand the views of the members on the issue of the

membership fee, two independent questions were asked; whether an upward review of fee

discourages renewal and whether an upward review of fees encourages renewal. To analyze

this questions the two questions were analyzed using bi-variate correlation analysis. As can

be seen from the table below, there is significant correlation between the members who think

that an upward review of fees discourages renewal and a downward review of fees

encourages renewal.

Table 4.18: Correlation between Members Views on Adjustment of Fees.

Upward review of fee

discourages renewal

Downward review of fee

encourages renewal

Upward review of fee

discourages renewal

Pearson Correlation 1 .750**

Sig. (2-tailed) .000

N 135 133

Downward review of fee

encourages renewal

Pearson Correlation .750** 1


N 133 133

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

4.3.2.3 MSK Should Introduce a Compulsory CPD

Compulsory programs are often initiated in associations that are chartered and they are meant

to ensure that the member continually grows through provision of several opportunities.

58.8% of the members were positive about the introduction of a compulsory CPD

programme, 25.9% of the respondents were neutral, 4.9% of the members thought that

irrespective of the decision it would not affect them, 4.2% did not like the idea of

introduction of the CPD, while the missing responses were at 6.3%. Results are as shown in

Table 4.20 below:

41

Table 4.19: MSK Should Acquire Introduce Compulsory CPD



Disagree 5 3.5

Neutral 37 25.9

Agree 35 24.5




Total 143 100.0

4.3.2.4 Review of Member Input and Feedback Collection Systems

The researcher sought to find out if there was a significant relationship between the need for

MSK to regularly assess members needs and the need for MSK to continuously evaluate the

members throughout their membership. From the correlation analysis, there is a significant

relationship between the two variables as can be seen from the resulting p value.

Table 4.20: Relationship between Need for Members Regular Assessment and

Members Evaluation

MSK should regularly

assess the needs of

members

Members Monitoring &

Evaluation is critical

MSK should regularly

assess the needs of

members

Pearson Correlation 1 .407**


N 136 136

Members Monitoring &

Evaluation is critical

Pearson Correlation .407** 1


N 136 138

**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

4.3.2.5 MSK should have Chapters Outside Nairobi

As is the case right now, MSK only operates and implements activities within Nairobi. Thus,

the research sought to find out if members felt the need to have more representation beyond

Nairobi. A high majority at 77% strongly felt the need for MSK to have chapters outside

42

Nairobi, 16.8% of the members were neutral on the issue whilst there was a tie between those

who disagreed and those to whom the question was not applicable at 0.7%. Results are as

shown in the table below:

Table 4.21: MSK Should have Chapters Outside Nairobi


Disagree 1 0.7

Neutral 24 17.6

Agree 54 39.7




Total 143 100.0

4.3.2.6 MSK Partnership with International Bodies

International alliances help an association to build stronger networks and to leverage on

information on best practices from around the world. 77.7% of the respondents agreed to the

need for professional associations to partner with other bodies in its field around the world,

16.3 percent of the respondents were neutral, while the question was not applicable to 1.5%.

There was also an average missing rate of 5.6%. The results are as in the table shown below:

43

Table 4.21: MSK should Partner with International Bodies


Neutral 22 15.4

Agree 57 39.9




Total 143 100.0

4.3.2.7 MSK should increase Aggressiveness

From the findings, 64.4% felt that MSK could increase its relevance by being more

aggressive in its membership recruitment and national visibility when lobbying for issues on

behalf of Marketers. 27.3% of the respondents were neutral, 2.8% of the respondents were

comfortable with MSKs current visibility and membership drive, and question wasn’t

applicable to 0.7% of the respondents while 4.9% left the question unanswered. Results are

as shown below:

Table 4.22: MSK Should Increase Aggressiveness in Membership Recruitment


Disagree 4 2.9

Neutral 39 27.3

Agree 50 35.0




Total 143 100.0

4.3.2.10 MSK should Leverage on Technology

An association cannot compete effectively without the adoption and integration of

technology in its operations. As can be seen from the table, 69.3% of respondents, believe

that MSK should leverage on technology to disseminate information, 21.7% of the

44

respondents are neutral on the issue, the question was not applicable to 1.4% of the

respondent with a 1.4% who did not agree that technology was important. There was also a

6.3% non-response rate on the question. Results are as shown in the table below:

Table 4.23: MSK Should Leverage on Technology



Disagree 1 0.7

Neutral 31 21.7

Agree 52 36.4




Total 143 100.0

4.4 Professional Bodies Feedback

4.4.1 Challenges Professional Bodies Face

4.4.1.1 Presence of Competitors

Most of the respondents in this survey were locally chartered and thus they did not have any

direct competitors. As can be seen from the results below 80% of the associations

represented did not have direct competitors while only 20% of them had direct competitors.

Table 4.24: Association has Direct Competitors


Yes 4 20

No 16 80

20 100

4.4.1.2 Competitor Activities Have Been Destabilizing

Since the associations do not operate in an isolated business space even though they do not

have direct competitors they have indirect competition in some of their activities. Thus, the

researcher sought to find out the impact of any such activities. From the results shown below,

50% of the respondents did not experience activities that destabilized their operations, 30%

45

had experienced some destabilization from their competitors activities while competition did

not make an impact to 20% of the respondents.

Table4. 25: Competitor Activities Have Been Destabilizing


Strongly Disagree 4 20

Disagree 6 30

Neutral 2 10

Agree 6 30

Not Applicable 2 10

Total 20 100

4.4.1.3 Membership Retention

Membership retention is a good sign that members are deriving value from the association

and thus the researcher sought to understand how the retention in other professional bodies

was like. 55% of the respondents felt that their membership retention was high, while the

remaining 45% had experienced challenges in membership retention. Results are as shown

below:

Table 4.26: Association has Low Membership Retention



Disagree 6 30

Agree 8 40

Strongly Agree 1 5

Total 20 100

4.4.1.4 Challenges in Identifying and Delivering Value

The most important aspect of an association is to deliver value to its stakeholders and more

so its members. Thus, the researcher sought to find out the ease with which associations

identified and delivered value to members. From the results shown below 70% of

associations respondents did not reckon having a problem, 20% had a challenge, while 10%

were neutral.

46

Table4.27: Association has Challenges Identifying &Delivering value


Disagree 14 70

Neutral 2 10

Agree 3 15

Strongly Agree 1 5

Total 20 100

4.4.1.5 Red-tape

The level of red-tape in an organization influences the extent to which how autonomous

decisions are made and how freely the employees operate. As can be seen from the table

below, 50% of the associations represented had not experienced some form of red-tape, while

35% had experienced some of red-tape with a lower minority of 15% who were neutral on

the issue.

Table 4.28: Association has Red-tape



Disagree 5 25

Neutral 3 15

Agree 4 20

Strongly Agree 3 15

Total 20 100

4.4.1.6 Politics

Internal politics have the potential of being disruptive and hindering the association from

reaching its objectives successfully. From the results of the survey, 50% of the associations

represented had experienced internal politics while 50% had not experienced internal politics.

Results are as shown in the table below:

47

Table 4.29: Politics Have Disrupted the Association's Activities



Disagree 7 35

Agree 7 35


Total 20 100

4.4.1.8 Brand perception

The perception of the association in the public domain influences the ease to attract and

retain members. From the results shown in the table below 95% of the associations

representatives felt that they had a good public perception while 5% were neutral.

Table 4.30: The Association has Good Brand Perception


Neutral 1 5

Agree 14 70

Strongly Agree 5 25

Total 20 100

4.4.1.9Cash-flow

Good cash flow makes it easier for an association to plan for certain initiatives and actually

implement them. From the results in the table below 60% of the respondents had issues with

sustainable cash flow, while 40% did not experience cash flow problems.

Table 4.31: Association Has Cash Flow Changes


Disagree 12 60

Agree 3 15

Strongly Agree 5 25

Total 20 100

48

4.4.1.10 Biggest Source of Revenue

Ideally any association should have a diversified product portfolio that continuously

generates revenue that is sustainable and that can run the activities of the association.

From the survey, 75% of the associations do not solely or strongly rely on collection of

membership fees as the biggest source of revenue while 15% rely on membership as the

biggest source of revenue while 10% were neutral. Results are as shown in table below:

Table 4.32: Membership is The Biggest Source of Revenue



Disagree 7 35

Neutral 2 10

Agree 3 15

Total 20 100

4.4.2 Strategies Professional Bodies should Adopt

4.4.2.1Charter

A Chartered association is able to earn state recognition and support in its various initiatives..

From the survey, 75% of the bodies were of the view that a chartered status improves

membership growth and retention, while 10% of the respondents believed that a charter does

not necessarily result in improved growth and retention of members. 15% of the respondents

were neutral on the impact of the acquisition of a charter. Results are as shown in table

below:

Table 4.33: Associations should have a Charter



Neutral 3 15

Agree 10 50

Strongly Agree 5 25

Total 20 100

49

4.4.2.2 Partnerships for Associations

Through international and local alliances, associations are able to pick on best case practices,

gather new information and leverage on a pool of resources from partner associations and

organizations. The researcher sought to understand the correlation between the

recommendation for local strategic partnerships based on the responses from the different

respondents. However, according to the table below, there was no significant relationship

between the 2 variables based on the respondents feedback:

Table 4.34: Correlation between Types of Partnerships for Associations

Local Strategic

Partnership

International Strategic

Partnership

Local Strategic Partnership Pearson Correlation 1 .612


N 10 10

International Strategic

Partnership

Pearson Correlation .612 1


N 10 10

4.4.2.3 Associations should have Diversified Product Portfolio

With a diversified product portfolio, an association is able to meet diverse needs of

membership database. From the survey, 95% of the associations believed that product

diversification was a key element in successful strategies, while only 5% were neutral on the

diversification. Results are as shown in the table below:

Table 4.35: Associations should have Diversified Product Portfolio


Neutral 1 5

Agree 5 25

Strongly Agree 14 70

Total 20 100

50

4.4.2.4 Engagement on Key Policy Issues

Associations are the voice of the profession and thus they should be at the fore in leading the

profession and to defending the profession from potentially harmful or hazardous policies.

From the results 90% of the respondents, believed that the association should carry out its

duty of advocacy in order to gain more relevance, while 10% were neutral on the issue.

Table 4:36: Associations should Engage on Key Policy Issues Affecting Their Industry


Neutral 2 10

Agree 2 10

Strongly Agree 16 80

Total 20 100

4.4.2.5 Monetizing Website

Monetizing the website means making it a source of revenue collection through selling

advertising space or subscription services. Only 35% of the respondents believed that the

website could be monetized, for 45% the monetization was not possible, while those who

were neutral were only 20%. Results are as in table shown below:

Table 4.37: Websites should be Monetized


Disagree 9 45

Neutral 4 20

Agree 5 25

Strongly Agree 2 10

Total 20 100

4.4.2.6 Research as a Guiding Tool for Strategy

Research is a very helpful tool for guiding decision-making. As can be seen from the survey,

90% of the associations represented agree that research is very important in the formulation

51

of strategy while only 10% are neutral on the impact of research as a tool to guide decision-

making in the strategic management of an association.

Table 4.38: Research can be used as a Strategic Management Tool


Agree 15 75

Strongly Agree 5 25

Total 20 100

4.4.2.7 Appointment of Board of Directors

The board of directors are tasked with guiding the strategic direction of an association, thus it

is advisable to appoint rather than to elect the Board. From the results as shown below, 100%

of the respondents agreed that the Board should be appointed.

Table 4.39: Board of Directors should be Appointed


Agree 16 80

Strongly Agree 4 20

Total 20 100

4.4.2.8 Associations should Offer Free Events Exclusive to Members

In order to enjoy their membership, associations should offer members events that are

specifically for members where they do not have to pay.100% of the respondents agreed that

it was important to have free exclusive member events as shown below:

Table 4.40: Associations should Offer Free Events Exclusive to Members


Yes 20 100

Total 20 100

52

4.4.2.9 Sales Arms

With a sales arm it is easier to reach out to potential members and lapsed non-renewed

members. In view of this 60% of the associations did not believe a sales arm was important

while 40% viewed a sales arm as important.

Table 4.45: Associations should Have a Sales Arm


Yes 8 40

No 12 60

Total 20 100

4.5 Chapter Summary

The analysis of the research findings reveals that majority of the respondents had gotten

value from MSK, that the challenges MSK faces are not unique to itself and finally presents

some strategies and action points based on feedback from both members and other

professional bodies. Chapter 5 discusses the results and findings in relation to the literature

review presented in chapter 2.

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CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 DISCUSSIONS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 Introduction

This chapter presents the findings on the assessment of professional bodies using the case of

MSK. The findings are based on the responses from the questionnaires filled and the

literature gathered on the research questions. The discussion below compares the results of

the findings from the literature review and those of from the study.

5.2 Summary

The purpose of the research was to assess professional bodies in Kenya with an aim to

demystify the value they offer to members, the challenges they encounter and some of the

feasible strategies that they should adopt. The research therefore, was focused on collecting

both primary and secondary that could guide in answering the research questions.

Descriptive research design was used in the study. The population of the study was made up

of approximately 5000 members of MSK as listed on the MSK database and 28 members

listed of the umbrella body for professionals in Kenya, APSEA. The samples were obtained

using non-probability sampling technique to draw the selected samples from the sampling

frame. The sample for the study was 200 members of MSK and representatives from 20

professional associations. The data was collected using questionnaires distributed to each

category of respondents. Data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics via SPSS

software. Information gathered was presented in form of figures and tables.

The study revealed that members joined MSK for various reasons. The biggest motivator for

individuals to subscribe or renew their membership was to enhance their professional

development which encompassed aspects such as training and networking. From the study it

was also seen that there are some members who had joined MSK as a result of

recommendation from their peers. Based on the results, majority of the respondents from this

study had derived the value that they had intended when joining MSK membership.

The study further revealed that the professional bodies experienced several challenges at

different levels. However, it was noted that a majority of the professional bodies operated in

a fairly stable business environment with little or no direct and indirect competition due to

54

the acquisition of the chartered status that granted them recognition from both the state as

well as the profession represented.

The study also revealed that both group of respondents strongly advocated for MSK to

acquire a charter to help in streamlining the industry and to possibly mitigate the effects of

competition. Among other key strategies that both group of respondents advocated for is

forging of local and foreign partnerships as well as advocacy on behalf of the profession.

5.3 Discussion

This section interprets the findings from the survey vis-a-vis the literature reviewed.

5.3.1 Value of Professional Bodies

The research found out that members of MSK were motivated to join by several factors with

each reason being ranked at a different position. The respondents in this research were

generally satisfied with the value that they had gotten from their membership. Consumer

decisions are driven by the need to satisfy an unmet need. When the service or product

offered by an association sufficiently fills the unmet need to the member, then they are able

to draw some sense of commitment to their association that encourages them to continually

renew their membership and spread positive word of mouth (Anderson, 1998: Eisengerich

and Rubera, 2008).

The findings from this survey reaffirms the sentiments of Milton (2003). The findings from

the survey on MSK members brings out the fact that opportunities to learn and grow through

the membership is a key motivation to join the association and which is also used as a

parameter to rate the overall satisfaction of the membership experience. Milton reinforces the

need for associations to be at the fore of driving the learning and growth agenda for their

members in order to meet their objectives. As can be seen from the survey, the respondents

had gotten various platforms such as the Sokoni Magazine, trainings and events through

which they had been able to learn and grow and thus increase their satisfaction.

55

Madden (2008), suggests that for associations to be successful in meeting their obligation to

the members, they must ensure that they create channels of growth and learning tied to

formal systems. Through this, members are then obliged to engage in the associations

activities so as to earn the required points and which in turn provides a steady source of cash

flow for the organization for any paid activities. However, as can be seen from the survey the

opportunities of self-advancement provided to members do not have to be tied to formal

systems for them to add value. This is in view of the fact that MSK does not have an

operating charter neither does it have a compulsory CPD program yet members who were

surveyed were satisfied with the opportunities provided to them through MSK. However,

with that said, majority of the respondents also highly advocated for the adoption of the CPD

program as a channel to guide their growth but more so improve their market

competitiveness.

People's perceptions are driven by different sources of information such as through word of

mouth, personal experience, advertisements, media coverage among others. The perception

drives the need to purchase, be engaged or be associated with a certain company, product or

activity. The perceptions formed prior to joining the association or purchase in most cases

drive the motivation to be part of something and form the basis for evaluation of the

experience. As can be seen from the survey on the professional associations, majority of

them enjoyed a good brand perception which helped them to acquire more trust from the

public (Homer, 2008).

Most professional associations operate in the service industry as they rarely have tangible

products for their members. Thus in line with this, it is very important for them to take care

of aspects on creating uniformity through all their channels in the delivery of service to their

members so as to enhance their customer experience. Associations must also be very careful

of the promises they make to members and ensure they only make promises they can deliver

on. In line with this, MSK respondents were generally satisfied with their service delivery

from MSK with a huge number of them saying they would recommend MSK to others while

yet another group had joined MSK because of peer recommendation. This in itself shows that

the members have received return on their investment and thus the association already has

brand ambassadors to preach on their behalf for free (Caruana, Money and Berthon, 2000).

56

5.3.2 Challenges Professional Bodies Face

Just like in any other business or organization, associations are likely to encounter several

challenges in the delivery of their mandate with MSK being no exception. From the research

it was clear that most of the problems faced by MSK, were no different from what other

professional associations faced. One among the major challenges many associations face, is

the lack of a charter. This ideally means that the body is not recognized by the state in the

representation and regulation of the professional; which extends to mean that the association

may also suffer the lack of support from the government in pushing through its policies and

also financial grants. The Charter also gives the association more power to govern the

profession and to implement policies that the profession should abide to. The survey revealed

that it is indeed important for MSK to consider acquiring a charter so that it is able to have

more clout and control over the profession than it currently has (Laing and Perrin, 2011).

One of the major challenges that professional bodies face especially those that are non-

chartered is ensuring that they are able to filter out or lock out those who are in the

profession but not rightly qualified. The danger with this, is that many quacks join the field

and dilute the quality of the standards expected from the professionals in that field, thereby

ruining its reputation (Johnson, 2008). As can be seen in the case of MSK, members join and

leave the association at free will since it is not a requirement for them to be members of MSK

to practice marketing in Kenya neither does not being a member of MSK lock them out from

opportunities. This has also resulted in a continually growing number of quack marketers

who have no skills, experience and knowledge to back up their work.

From the survey on the professional associations, it was clear that most of them enjoyed

relative stability based on the elements that were being measured for this particular study.

Some few associations had some issues, however none were aligned to a turbulent business

environment. The results from the study therefore conflict with the views of McKinstry

(2014) who suggested that professional associations today operate in a highly turbulent

business environment that has also seen to the continual rise of direct and indirect

competition and changes in the way things are done. The changes result from the increased

globalization and growth of technological devices and know-how. The turbulence disturbs

57

the stability of the association in terms of strategies to be implemented and how to meet the

objectives set out by the association for a specific time period.

The governance at any professional association is key in determining the kind of strategies

adopted in ensuring the association meets its vision and mission and how successfully the

association delivers on its mandate. Friedson (2001), advocates for professional bodies to

appoint rather than select members to the board positions. He believes that despite the fact

that it is a members association, only rightly qualified people should be given the chance to

steer the association and inform its strategic direction. Associations run the risk of over-

looking some necessary aspects from other different professional backgrounds when they

elect committee members as the people elected are only from that particular professional. As

can be seen from the survey on the professional bodies majority of them elected their boards

of directors. A fair share of the associations represented, had experienced a fair share of poor

governance resulting from internal politics (Fox, 2004).


From the results of the survey on both the members and the professional bodies, it was very

important for MSK to employ the use of research and constant feedback collection from

members, potential members and all relevant stakeholders of the association to better guide

the strategies adopted and to better help them evaluate their impact on the profession. In

agreement with the findings by Mutula (2003), associations make limited use of research and

feedback as strategy tools and thereby may end up not doing what they are set up to achieve.

Caroll (2009), advocates that for any professional association to gain and grow its relevance

in representing the profession it must be chartered. A charter through recognition by the state

entitles the association to government support in promoting the profession, gives the

association higher credibility when lobbying for issues on behalf of the association such as

tax reductions and most importantly requires that all the professionals and firms operating in

the industry represented, are registered with them. The survey findings from both the

professional associations and members of MSK advocate for MSK to acquire a charter and

thus is in agreement with the findings by Caroll and ICAEW and CECCAR (2012).

58

Findings from the survey by Fox (2004), suggest that an ideal association should be headed

by a board that is appointed through application and selection rather than election. Fox points

out that with a board appointed based on merits and with key deliverables set to them to

achieve, the association is likely to achieve more as the position is based on results to be

achieved which form an evaluative base for the success of the board. As from the results of

the findings and just as in MSK, the board is elected and there seems to have been some form

of consistent growth. However, since appointments based on merit were under-used in this

survey it is then important for organizations to try and adopt and see how it will work for

them.

Chartered associations tend to operate in monopolistic markets though facing a lot of indirect

competition on the products they offer. In the case of non-chartered associations, they may

face both direct and indirect competition, however it is necessary for them to employ a sales

arm that will make people aware of the association and incentivize them to be part of it. The

sales arm should encompass all promotional efforts aimed at increasing the membership of

the association especially where the members join at free will. Members of MSK reviewed in

this survey believed that MSK should increase its aggressiveness in recruitment and increase

its national visibility. In line with the promotional efforts, members reviewed for this survey

believed that an increase in the fee would discourage their renewal of membership while a

downward review of fees would encourage them to renew their membership (Huff and

Alden, 2008).

The results from the survey on both members and the professional associations highly

advocate for associations to have local and international strategic partners in order to help

them achieve their objectives faster and more efficiently. Through partnerships the

associations can pool resources or leverage on platforms, products and or services offered by

their partners while they in turn can also acquire some benefit from the association. Huang

and Ong (2006) suggest that in order to succeed a business or an association must have

strategic partners. For the partnerships to be successful prospective partners must first be

evaluated based on a pre-set criteria in order to ensure that they are the best match and will

help the association to achieve on its objectives.

59

5.4 Conclusions

5.4.1 Value of Professional Bodies

In conclusion, the member is the most important stakeholder of any association and therefore

without members, the association does not exist. Thus, it is very important for professional

bodies to put their member first and regularly consult with them for their feedback on their

experience in the association. However, even before consulting them on their feedback the

associations must be in a position to understand the motivation of their members in joining

the association and therefore work to delivering that. The professional bodies should also be

at the fore of advocating for and on behalf of their members on pertinent issues that may be

key to their representation at the association. The professional bodies must also be seen to

constantly present business and individual growth opportunities that empower their members

to perform at their utmost peak and continually grow.

5.4.2. Challenges Professional Bodies Face

Challenges for the professional bodies could be as a result of both external and/or internal

factors. From the challenges presented via the survey findings it is notable that with a charter

an association enjoys relative stability and much less challenges. However, the charter does

not guarantee that the association is devoid of challenges but it helps streamline the

profession. Some amongst the other most common challenges faced by professional

associations include internal political wrangles, highly turbulent and continuously changing

business environment and heavy reliance on membership as the biggest or sole stream of

generating revenue. In some cases there was low retention in membership which could have

been a result of not engaging a sales arm and not collecting member's feedback.


In order to choose the best strategies, it is important for professional bodies to take into

consideration several factors such as their competition, their members’ needs and the

business environment they are operating it. The strategies should overall be focused on

achieving the main objectives of the association and in improving the effectiveness of

professional bodies. The strategies adopted by the associations should be rigid enough to

allow it to work towards achieving them without back-tracking and yet flexible enough to

cater for any unanticipated environmental changes that could impact the association

60

5.5 Recommendations

5.5.1 Recommendations for Improvement

5.5.1.1 Value of Professional Bodies

As can be seen from the research, members joined MSK as their representative professional

body for different reasons and generally many members were overall satisfied with their

membership. However, it is important for MSK to find out why some of its potential clients

have chosen to be in the other competing organizations and what value they derive from their

association. MSK should also aim to find out the marketers that are not aligned to any

association and find out why they are not and how they can motivate them to join MSK. In

order to deliver the most value to each of its members, MSK should ensure it does a need

assessment when each of its members is joining so as to know how to help them maximize

on the opportunities available to them through MSK.

5.5.1.2 Challenges Professional Bodies Face

For the associations that were represented that did not have a charter or were not locally

accredited, there seemed to be more challenges as the associations did not have much control

power over the profession and recognition from the state. MSK should also have a more

diversified product portfolio that allows them flexibility of not strongly relying on

membership as the biggest source of revenue which should ideally translate to a more

sustainable cash flow position for the society.

5.5.1.3 Strategies Professional Bodies should Adopt

The key most important strategy that was recommended by both groups of respondents was

to lobby for the acquisition of a charter. Through the charter it will be compulsory for all

practicing marketers and marketing firms to be members and to be bound by the MSK Code

of Ethics. In addition, the body will also have more control over the entire profession and

thus make it more relevant to the people and firms it represents. In line with the literature

review, it would be helpful for MSK to consider appointing members to Board Positions

based on their experience and the value that they would add to the association. It is also

important for MSK to continuously engage their members for feedback through several

platforms so as to increase the value of their overall impact and to acquire a sales arm that

can continuously engage potential members.

61

5.5.2 Suggestions for Further Research

The study suggests that future research could conducted on the entire Marketing Industry in

Kenya with a more specific focus on non-members to try and understand why they are not

members and what must be done for them to join. Through this study, the research could also

aim to explore how much market share of their potential members is eaten by their

competition and how many of their members were both members of MSK and either of the

competing associations. Additionally, the research objectives could be replicated with a focus

on other professional bodies to confirm the similarity of findings.

62

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A: LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONATIONAL UNIVERSITY - AFRICA

Self- Administered Survey,

Dear Respondent,

This structured questionnaire is for collecting data on your membership experience at MSK. I

Kindly request you to provide the required data. The process should take you approximately

7 minutes.

Any information you give will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will only be used

for the sole purpose of this research. Your feedback will be incorporated into the final report

in a bid to enhancing the strategic decision-making process at Professional Bodies in Kenya

and more specifically MSK.

Your assistance will be highly appreciated.

If you would like to receive a copy of this report, please indicate your email address at the

back of the questionnaire.

Yours Faithfully,

Wangari Munene.

(Researcher)

71

APPENDIX B: LETTER OF INTRODUCTION

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONATIONAL UNIVERSITY - AFRICA

Self- Administered Survey,

Dear Respondent,

This structured questionnaire is for collecting data on the demographics, challenges and

strategies in professional bodies in Kenya. I Kindly request you to provide the required data.

The process should take you approximately 7 minutes.

Any information you give will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will only be used

for the sole purpose of this research. Your feedback will be incorporated into the final report

in a bid to enhancing the strategic decision-making process at Professional Bodies in Kenya

and more specifically MSK.

Your assistance will be highly appreciated.

If you would like to receive a copy of this report, please indicate your email address at the

back of the questionnaire.

Yours Faithfully,

Wangari Munene.

(Researcher)

Documents

CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background to the Problem