Factors Affecting the Implementation of Strategic Plans in Government Tertiary Institutions: A Survey of Selected Technical Training Institutes

Abstract

This study carried out an analysis of factors influencing the implementation of strategic management plans in selected tertiary institutions in Meru central District. The study was guided by four objectives and data was collected to answer the following four questions: - How managerial Behavior, Institutional policies, Resources allocation and Rewards and Incentives influence the implementation of strategic management plans. Four null hypotheses were tested to inform on the decision process of accepting or rejecting the influence of each of the four independent variables on the dependent variable.

The research design was a descriptive survey carried out in Meru central District and the selected governments sponsored tertiary institutions were; - Nkabune and Kiirua Technical Training Institutions. The population for the study ware the institutions'Managers and serving Lecturers in the tertiary institutions within the selected institutions Meru Central District. The accessible population was made up of 136 Lecturers, 30 heads of departments and 12 top manager; totaling to an accessible population of 178 respondents.

Using a stratified random sampling design, a quota of 33% was established for each of the stratum in each institute from the three stratus of top management, heads of departments and lectures. A table of random numbers was used to select a sample of 60 individual respondents for the study. The study used a structured questionnaire as the data collection instrument both descriptive and inferential statistical analysis techniques were used in order to test the four Hypothesis of the study.

The study concludes that the weak influence of managerial behavior was as a result of strategic thinking of the management and the influence of rewards and incentives were found to be weak as it was the intrinsic motivation of the teacher's professional ethics than extrinsic motivation by management through tangible reward by Management that made the lecturers co-operate in the implementation of strategic plans. Institutional policies were revealed to be weak in influencing strategy implementation because of low awareness and the infrequent use of the service charter which is a critical barometer of strategy implementation effectiveness and efficiency.

The study recommends that Tertiary institutions create a higher level of involvement of faculty members in any further strategy development and review to avoid hands off approach and lack of ownership on the part of lecturers who are the implementers. The Agencies must also ensure a high level of sensitization among faculty members, and where practical programmes for capacity building to improve skill and motivate the willingness to participate by the faculty members. Further study is recommended on the effectiveness of the strategic management plans being implemented in the tertiary institutions and other Institutions of higher learning and specialized institutions like Government Training Institutes