Influence of Organizational Resources on Strategy Execution in Shipping Companies in Kenya

Abstract

Current research shows that more attention is given to strategy development but less to strategy execution. This study therefore sought to bridge this pertinent gap in literature by establishing the influence of organization resources on strategy execution in shipping companies in Kenya. The study reviewed relevant literature and theoretical underpinnings to identify the determinants of strategy execution. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey research design. The population of the research consisted of the 38 shipping companies in Kenya as at 2015. The unit of analysis were the employees in charge of strategic management matters in the shipping companies in Kenya. The study adopted purposive sampling and used primary data which was gathered using structured questionnaires which were pre-tested before being administered. The respondents comprised of the chief executive officer, chief operations officer, chief finance officer, chief information officer and the business development officer who were purposely selected due to their level involvement in strategy execution matters. Therefore the target population was 190 officers from the shipping companies in Kenya. Statistical Package for Social Sciences was used in data analysis where both descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Regression results indicated that organization resources and organization culture was statistically significant in explaining strategy execution in shipping companies in Kenya. From the study, it is possible to conclude that the shipping companies in Kenya are not fully putting into maximum use the resources available in order to execute their strategies. The study recommends that the shipping companies should support all relevant strategy execution initiatives in their companies and the managers should efficiently use any combination of the available resources in order to execute strategy.

Keywords:  Organization Resources, Shipping, Strategy Execution Practices, Strategy.