The role of social entrepreneurship in HIV/AIDS management across the education sector in Kenya

Abstract

Abstract Purpose – The overall purpose of this study is to identify key entrepreneurial variables in the realm of social entrepreneurship that may contribute to enhancing impact mitigation of HIV/AIDS. In addition, the study seeks to establish which of the correlations between the entrepreneurial variables and management of response of impact mitigation of HIV/AIDS were significant at the 0.001 level. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. The analysis engaged a correlational qualitative research approach so as to enable the researcher determine whether the correlation between entrepreneurial management initiatives and the management of the response on the impact of HIV/AIDS in the education sector was statistically significant. Findings – The result of the correlation analysis showed that organizational boundaries, work discretion, rewards management support and time availability explain about 53 per cent of the aspects of management response to HIV/AIDS impact mitigation. The correlations were statistically significant at the 0.001 level. The implication is that introduction of entrepreneurship within institutions dealing with HIV/AIDS in the education sector would lead to improved mitigation of the impact of the scourge on the sector. Research limitations/implications – The study considers one thematic area in the HIV/AIDS mitigation process, that is management of the response, leaving three other thematic areas, namely: care and support, prevention as well as HIV/AIDS and the workplace. The generalization of the study’s results will therefore be limited. Originality/value – The study established that administrative management practices are not effective in the management response to impact mitigation of HIV/AIDS in the education sector. It therefore proposes innovative, approaches to the mitigation effort. This in turn calls for a dramatic shift in management that entails the extension of market principles into social institutions, government and civil society and an inevitable blurring of the boundaries between these sectors. Keywords Entrepreneurialism, General management, Strategic management, Education sector, Kenya