STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS AND DISASTER MANAGEMENT IN KENYA: A CASE OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

Abstract

In the past few decades, Kenya, like other African country, has reported a surge in the number of disasters. Kenya’s response to disasters has been ad-hoc and uncoordinated. The institutional and legal frameworks on disaster management are fragmented. When a disaster strikes the end result has been loss of property, lives and livelihoods. WHO 2017 Framework for emergency preparedness identifies governance, planning, risk analysis and resources as elements of disaster preparedness. This research endeavored to analyse how strategic management practices affect disaster management in Kenya, with reference to national government departments. The study was based on social capital, protection motivation and contingency theories. The research philosophies applied were ontology and epistemology. The study adopted a census survey. The research design was descriptive survey and explanatory research. The target population was heads of departments in the Kenyan government ministries and the unit of analysis was the Kenyan government departments. The research studied a population of 128 respondents, a response rate of 82.8% was achieved. Data was obtained using semi-structured questionnaires. The data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Pearson product moment correlation was employed to assess the course and respective strengths of the linkage between environmental analysis, strategic planning, risk governance, resource management. Multiple regression analyses were employed to establish the effects of the factor variables and the moderating effect of internal organizational factors on disaster management in Kenya. The results indicate that there was a statistically significant effect of environmental analysis, strategic planning and strategic risk governance on disaster management in Kenya. However, there was no statistically significant effect of resource management strategies on disaster management in Kenya. Regression coefficients revealed a significant effect of strategic management practices on disaster management. Introduction of internal organizational factors showed that there was no statistically significant moderating effect of the factors on strategic environmental analysis and disaster management in Kenya. On the other hand, there was a statistically significant moderating effect of internal organizational factors on strategic planning, risk governance, resource mobilization and disaster management in Kenya. The study concludes that strategic management practices, particularly strategic environmental analysis, strategic planning and strategic risk governance are critical in disaster management. Internal organizational factors are also pertinent in the implementation of the strategic management practices for effective disaster management. The study recommends that in order to effectively carry out disaster management, national government departments ought to enhance environmental analysis, strategic planning, risk governance and resource management. The research findings imply the need to build up internal organizational structures to offer leadership on disaster mitigation in future. The findings are of benefit to the government of Kenya for policy decisions in the area of disaster management and to scholars for imparting knowledge to their students.