An Assessment of the Challenges and Constraints Facing the Performance of Serviced Offices in Kenya Case Study: Westlands Area of Nairobi City County

Abstract

In Kenya, serviced offices have gained popularity over the years. The emergence of Serviced office space led to a need for a shift in property management strategies from a rigid system to one that gives growing prominence to flexibility in professional form to remain competitive. The study’s primary goal was to evaluate the challenges and constraints facing the performance of the serviced offices in Kenya. The study specifically assessed the status of serviced offices in Kenya; Identified the key drivers of the performance of serviced offices in Kenya; Assessed the performance of serviced offices in Kenya; Identified the most significant challenges and constraints facing the performance of serviced offices in Kenya; Recommended appropriate mechanisms of tackling the challenges and constraints facing the performance of serviced offices in Kenya. The study adopted the deductive method as the primary method of reasoning. The study’s target population was the 24 the serviced offices providers in Westlands, Nairobi Kenya. Data for this study was gathered using a self-administered and structured survey questionnaire. The conceptual framework created following a literature review served as the foundation for the questionnaire design used for this research. In order to analyze and understand the collected data, descriptive statistical analysis including mean, frequency tables, standard deviation, and percentages were used. The study investigated the relationship between the challenges and constraints faced by serviced office providers in Kenya and their overall performance. The analysis was aided by the use of the computer program SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 21.0). The study established that the following challenges facing the performance serviced offices in Kenya were statistically significant; government policies and regulatory environment, economic environment, poor billing strategy and poor infrastructure. The rest of the challenges and constraints including uncertainty of short-term occupancy, were less significant in influencing performance of serviced offices in Kenya. Thus, the null hypothesis that stated: H01: The short-term nature of serviced office contracts is not the most important challenge facing the performance of serviced offices in Kenya was not rejected. The study recommends that friendlier regulatory and policy framework and better infrastructure be put in place to encourage more investment and growth of businesses which would in turn increase the demand for serviced offices. The study also recommends that the operators of serviced offices use soft wares to manage the requisition and billing of services and commodities. The study recommends further study on the viability of the serviced offices model in Kenya and a study to identify the policy bottle necks facing the establishment of serviced offices in Kenya