External Factors and Performance of Public Universities in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Public universities operate within a multi-stakeholder context while performing their responsibilities. In DRC, the lack of effectiveness in higher education system is particularly noticeable in public universities. This study sought to determine the influence of external factors on performance of public universities in Kinshasa, DRC. The study specifically sought to examine the influence of political factors, economic factors and technological factors on performance of public universities in Kinshasa, DRC. This research was anchored on complexity theory. The study was based on positivist research philosophy and used descriptive research design and the explanatory cross-sectional research design. The target population comprised of 1059 academic staff, non-academic staff and student leaders from three public universities in Kinshasa, DRC. The sample was 290 respondents obtained using Yamane formula. Sampling was done through stratified sampling and simple random sampling techniques. Primary data was collected using a structured questionnaire. The study used multiple regression analysis and Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that political factors (PF) had a statistically significant influence on the performance of public universities. The path coefficient for political factors was 0.888, with a standard error of 0.144 and a critical ratio of 6.147, yielding a p-value of 0.001. This implied that the hypothesis related to political factors was rejected. Similarly, economic factors (ECF) also showed a positive and significant influence on performance. The path coefficient for economic factors was 0.447, with an S.E. of 0.121 and a C.R. of 3.699, significant at p = 0.001. This result implied that the hypothesis concerning economic factors was rejected. Further, the results showed that technological factors (TF) significantly and positively affected the performance of public universities in Kinshasa. The path coefficient for technological factors was 0.248, with a standard error of 0.127 and a critical ratio of 1.958, significant at p=0.050. Hence, the hypothesis concerning technological factors was rejected. The study concluded that external factors significantly influence performance of public universities in Kinshasa, DRC. The study recommends that the university management should strengthen institutional resilience by adopting proactive management strategies that reduce the effects of political instability and external interference on university operations. It is also recommended that given the dynamic external environment in which public universities operate, institutional strategic plans should incorporate environmental scanning, risk assessment, and scenario planning as integral management practices. Keywords: External Factors, Political Factors, Economic Factors, Technological Factors, Performance of Public Universities