| dc.description.abstract | The study aimed to determine the factors influencing strategic decision making process in the Ministry of Roads (HQs). In search of answers to the stated problem, existing secondary data was gathered through literature review. This was to establish what existing literature has in regard to strategic decision making process and factors that influence it. The study also sought to find out the existing gap that the researcher focused on filling. The study established that previous studies found out that a wide range of factors influence strategic decision making process and they vary from organization to organization. The most common across firms included external environment, organizational structure, corporate culture, policies, resources, personality and attitude of decision makers, top management support and vested interests. A case study was used as a methodology research design. This was due to the nature of the study which needed in-depth interrogation in order to examine data within the context of its use. Secondary data was gathered through review of key documents in the Ministry of Roads (HQs) such as relevant reports, circulars, policies and strategic plans. An interview guide was developed to collect primary data. In-depth face to face interviews were conducted to senior officers mainly heads of departments (HOD) in the Ministry of Roads (HQs). These are officers involved in making strategic decisions in the organization. Content analysis was used to analyze data through both conceptual and relational techniques. Themes were implicitly explored while limiting subjectivity using contextual translating rules. The study established that a predetermined strategic decision making process exists in the Ministry of Roads. It is directed by laid down rules and regulations and the hierarchical organizational structure. Though the process is effective in addressing recurring issues, it is challenged when it comes to unstructured issues. It came out clearly that there are various factors that influence the process among them being organizational structure, resources, policies, professional expertise, political interference, vested interests and organizational culture. Several challenges are faced in the process of making strategic decisions. They include insufficient funds, interdependency between government bodies, succession gaps, leadership styles and lack of participatory decision making processes. The study concluded that though the existing strategic decision making process in the Ministry of Roads achieves some results, there is a lot to be improved on in order to make it more effective in terms of quality, timeliness, and sustainability. | en |
