Strategic change management at the judiciary of Kenya

Abstract

Strategic change arises out of the need of organizations to exploit existing or emerging opportunities and deal with threats in the market (Thompson, 1997). Johnson & Scholes (2008) observes that organizations must formulate strategies on how to tackle the challenges that come with the changes through planning and implementing the requisite change programs. Change management approaches, practices have shown that due to the uniqueness of organizations there is no one general theory that explains organizational change and that managing change is always context dependent. The objectives of the study were to establish the approaches adopted in strategic change management at the judiciary of Kenya and the challenges faced in managing the same. The study utilized case study form of research design to collect both primary and secondary data and senior people at the judiciary were interviewed for primary data. Secondary data was sourced from other sources including the judiciary transformation framework, various reports and the constitution of Kenya 2010.The findings indicated that the need for change at the judiciary was brought about by changes in the legal and political environment in the country. The study showed that both planned and emergent approaches were used in managing change with the emergent approaches being more dominant. These approaches were consistence with various models proposed by several authors including Kotter (1996) eight step model and Bullock and Batten (1985) model. There was also change agency with the chief justice leading from the front. The change management was driven by the judiciary’s aim of renewal in order to restore public faith, confidence and serve its mandate as envisaged in the constitution of Kenya. Resistance to change was evident both from within and without and the respondents noted that leadership of the institution under the guidance of the chief justice played a critical role in the change process which enabled the judiciary implement various programs successfully. The study concludes that judiciary is successfully managing strategic change and Kenyans are now having faith in the judiciary although more is still to be done in order to fully achieve a transformed judiciary. Other sectors in the justice system especially the security apparatus in this country should also be reformed since they work hand in hand with the judiciary in the dispensation of justice. Limitation of the study was mainly the sampled respondents. The lower cadre staff spread across the country were not sampled because of resource constrains. Since the judiciary transformation framework is being implemented, this study recommends a replication of the study after the period of transition espoused in the constitution of Kenya 2010 is over. Similarly the study should also be conducted to other arms of the government of Kenya after the 2013 general elections since devolution will have taken place.