An Evaluation of Strategy Implementation on Organization Effectiveness: Case of Kenya Wildlife Service, Garissa County

Abstract

Many organizations today are focusing on becoming more competitive, by launching competitive strategies that give them an edge over their rivals. To do this, they need to convert their strategies into actions (Porter, 1985). This calls for a strategic fit of an organization’s structure, resources, culture, and systems. In the past it has been proposed that the public sector in Kenya experiences great difficulties in regard to implementing reforms and offering of quality services. This study sought to fill a gap by carrying out research on strategy implementation of the Kenya Wildlife Services.  The purpose of this study was therefore to evaluate the factors affecting effective implementation of strategic plans by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in Garissa County. The specific objectives were to determine the influence of resources, culture, systems and structure on the implementation of KWS strategic plans. This was a case study since the unit of analysis was a single organization. The research used a descriptive research design to investigate the factors affecting strategy implementation. The respondents in this study were the employees of KWS and opinion leaders from the protected wildlife sites in Garissa County. A census study of 47 respondents was considered for this study. The researcher used primary data which was collected using self administered questionnaires and semi structured interviews. The collected data was coded and entered in computer software. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics while qualitative data was analyzed by organizing data into appropriate categories. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The study concludes that the implementation of KWS strategic plans is faced by myriad of challenges such as inadequacy of funds, staff shortages, lack of training and motivation, poor orientation of the employees, inappropriate communication flow, and lack of information technology. The research recommends that provision of adequate resources, trainings, orientations, computer literacy and efficient communication are some of the solutions that need to be factored to ensure successful implementation of KWS strategic planning. The study further recommends research in similar organizations in different context.

Keywords: Strategy Implementation, Kenya Wildlife Service