Influence of Community Support on the Performance of the Wildlife Enterprises of Northern Rangeland Trust

Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT) is a wildlife-linked community enterprise that aims to alleviate poverty and improve environmental wellbeing. However, performance issues have hindered NRT's ability to form long-term alliances with donors and enterprises. The study aimed to determine how community support influences the performance of wildlife community enterprises within NRT. Guided by commitment-trust theory, this research employed a descriptive survey design. Using a census method for selection, the study targeted all 78 management employees of the Northern Rangeland wildlife community enterprises. Data was collected via questionnaires, and internal consistency was assessed using the Cronbach Alpha coefficient. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant statistical link among the factors. A pilot test of eight questionnaires at Buffalo Springs wildlife community enterprises in Isiolo County showed a Pearson correlation coefficient for community support of r=0.616** at α < 0.01 with a 95% confidence level. Results indicated that a unit increase in community support led to a performance increase in wildlife-linked community enterprises by a magnitude of 0.887. The study concluded that community support, which is underutilized by the management, is essential for the performance of wildlife community enterprises. It recommends that the managers incorporate full community support in order to enhance the performance of NRT.