Individualized consideration and implementation of constituency development fund construction projects in public secondary school in Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

Individualized consideration refers to leadership behavior in which leaders support followers in reaching their full potential through individual analysis, team orientation, and recognition. This study examined the influence of individualized consideration on the implementation of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) construction projects in public secondary schools in Kisumu County, Kenya. The main objective of the study sought to establish how individualized consideration affects the implementation of CDF construction projects in public secondary schools.  Specifically, the study sought to determine the effect of principals’ Board of Management (BOM) members’ and (iii) teachers’ perceptions of individualized consideration on the implementation of CDF construction projects. The study was guided by transformational leadership theory, contingency theory, and systems theory. An ex post facto research design was used, with data collected using the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire and documentary analysis. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (percentages, frequencies, means, and standard deviation), while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. Inferential analysis was conducted using Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis to test hypotheses. The target population was 2,540 respondents, consisting of 217 principals of public secondary schools in Kisumu County, 217 Board of Management representatives, and 2,106 teachers. A sample was drawn using 30% of schools across regions. This yielded 384 teachers, with 6 teachers selected per sampled school, while all principals in the selected schools were included in the study. The findings revealed that individualized consideration is positively associated with implementation of CDF construction projects. Regression analysis further established that principals’ perception (β = 0.389, p = 0.021), BOM members’ perception (β = 0.431, p = 0.007), and teachers’ perception (β = 0.512, p = 0.001) all have a statistically significant positive influence on project implementation. The model explained 64.2% of the variation in implementation outcomes (R² = 0.642), indicating strong explanatory power. The study concludes that individualized consideration is a significant predictor of successful implementation of CDF construction projects. It recommends strengthening leadership capacity through structured Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) training and continuous professional development to enhance mentoring, feedback, and stakeholder engagement in school-based projects.