Determinants of Compliance towards Tourism Licensing Within Uasin Gishu County, Kenya: Hotels and Restaurants Managers Perspective

Abstract

Studies relating to the contextual factors that affect the relationship between motivations and compliance have been overlooked. Therefore, this current study approaches this literature gap by establishing whether organizational capacity moderates the relationship between mixed motivations and compliance. The study is based on an exploratory survey of hotels and restaurants managers in Uasin Gishu County. It was grounded on four theories, economic deterrence theory, political legitimacy theory, behaviour change theory and Siegwart’s goal framing theory. The sample size comprised of 395 respondents who were chosen through proportional random sampling technique. Data was collected using close ended questionnaires. The respondent’s demographic information was analyzed using descriptive methods while the model was evaluated through inferential methods mainly structural equation modelling and further, exploratory factor analysis and path analysis was employed. The study demonstrated that economic motivation, normative motivation and social motivation were individually significant predictors of compliance to tourism regulations with economic motivation being the most significant predictor of the three. The results also revealed that organisational capacity failed to moderate the relationship between mixed motivations and compliance towards tourism licensing. The study recommended that a further study on the same research topic be carried out on other Counties in Kenya.