Corporate entrepreneurship and performance of government secondary schools: a case of Kampala and Wakiso Districts

Abstract

The study was conducted with an aim of establishing the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and performance of Uganda’s government secondary schools in Wakiso and Kampala districts. This was an observation of the declining performance of Uganda’s government secondary schools at Advanced level. Taking a quick look at the news papers that publish the national performance with lists ranking the first school with highest number of students intake to tertiary institutions, to the last school with the least number of intake to the five tertiary institutions.

I observed that private secondary schools have been taking the lead for the last three consecutive years (2006 to 2009) Ahimbisibwe, (New Vision 2007), despite the fact that they enjoy opportunity for their teachers to earn salaries from both the government and Parent Teachers Association (PTA). Government schools have also recruited the best teachers and students but have not topped the news paper lists.

The study was conducted using a cross-sectional, descriptive and explanatory research design. Descriptive research design helped top provide a clear understanding of corporate entrepreneurship and performance of government secondary schools. Explanatory research design was used to explain the relationship between perceived organizational culture, corporate entrepreneurship and performance. Data was collected from 39 (thirty nine) government secondary schools using a self administered questionnaire. Data collected was analyzed using quantitative techniques with the aid of SPSS computer program.

Findings of the study revealed that performance in government secondary schools is not determined by corporate entrepreneurship. This meant that corporate entrepreneurship would probably correlate significantly with performance in the private secondary school.

However findings also indicate that willingness to change and strategic planning correlate significantly to performance in government secondary schools. From this therefore the study recommends that managers in government secondary schools need to emphasize willingness to change and strategic planning among other things to be able to improve performance in their respective schools.

Findings also made clear gaps that would require further attention, and these include an analysis of the managerial levels in secondary schools and how they can improve performance. Findings also made me realize that studies need to be made about performance in private secondary schools in Uganda.