FACTORS AFFECTING STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION IN GOVERNMENT PARASTATALS: CASE OF NATIONAL CERE

Abstract

Many organizations are able to generate innovative strategic plans, but few are able to successfully implement these plans. NCPB has a five year strategic plan that runs through the year 2009 to 2013. East Africa Grain Council (2009), NCPB reforms are long overdue, the NCPB strategic plan is not available in the public domain and stakeholders had not been consulted on the proposed warehouse receipt system and commodity exchange. This clearly shows that NCPB has faced challenges in implementing its strategic plan. This study sought to fill the gap by seeking answers to the question on implementation of strategic decision whereby it will focus on National Cereals and Produce Board. The study sought to determine the effects of top management commitment, coordination of activities, individual responsibilities and organization culture on strategy implementation at National Cereals and Produce Board. A descriptive study was considered as the appropriate research design since it is a more appropriate strategy for answering research questions which ask ‘how and ‘why’ and which do not require control over the events. The target population composed of 781 staff in different managerial levels currently employed at National Cereals and Produce Board and various farmers and a sample of 15% was appropriate. From each stratum the study used simple random sampling to select 117 respondents. The researcher administered a survey questionnaire individually to employees of National Cereals and Produce Board who were the Target population. Quantitative data collected was analyzed by the use of descriptive statistics using SPSS and presented through percentages, means, standard deviations and frequencies. The study established that to ensure strategy is implemented as intended, senior executives must not spare any effort to persuade the employees of their ideas. The study also established that lack of coordination results to implementations taking more time than originally expected and had a negative impact on strategy implementation in National Cereals and Produce Board. The study revealed that it is desirable to create a fit between the intended strategy and the specific personality profile of the implementation’s key players in the different organizational departments. The study also established that strategy implementation evolves either from a process of winning group commitment through a coalitional form of decision-making.