| dc.description.abstract | Change management strategy has become a common activity for many organizations but the
knowledge about many of the critical issues involved is often lacking in those responsible for
it. Consequently, managers still grapple with the challenges that surround change
management, with many such processes ending in failure. This study sought to establish the
change management strategy in response to environmental challenges as practiced by
KenolKobil Limited, a major player in oil marketing sector in Kenya and how the company
has gone about handling the strategy. The environment plays a critical role in the success and
behavior of business. The Porters Five Force model Porter, (1980) is a strategy tool that can
be used to analyze how the changes in the environment may affect the firm’s operation and
strategies. This study was modeled on a case study design. The study focused on the change
management strategy in response to the environmental challenges faced by KenolKobil. The
study used both primary and secondary data; Primary data was collected through a face to
face interview by the researcher with the help of an interview guide. The data collected was
qualitatively analyzed by use of content analysis techniques. The study concludes that
KenolKobil Limited has been implementing change management strategy in response to the
environmental challenges. The study further concludes that the change management
strategies in response to the environmental challenges by KenolKobil Limited are mainly due
to competition and need to increase the performance of the company. This study found out
that the main challenges in implementing change management strategy were financial
requirements and timely accessibility of the same, a highly competitive market environment
including the changes by the government regulatory bodies, internal resistance also impeded
the change process, human resource capacities to quickly respond to the manpower
requirement was also a challenge and red tapes and unnecessary procedures. The study
recommends that there is need for KenolKobil Limited to increase the effectiveness and
efficiency of implementing change management strategy due to the increased competition in
the oil industry. More studies also need to be conducted on other oil marketing companies to
find out their change management styles and challenges they encounter and how they
respond to them. The findings from those studies will be useful for bench-marking and assist
the players to learn from each other on how to deal with shared issues. This study is of
practical relevance to all stakeholders in KenolKobil Limited and the oil industry in Kenya. It
has provided industry players with useful insights on how best to effectively manage
strategic change with changing environment. With this study managers and other
practitioners can be empowered in the oil industry in Kenya with knowledge on the various
roles that successful change management practice requires of them. In theory, the study also
sought to contribute to the body of knowledge, while at the same time, identifying further
research gaps that other researchers may need to undertake in future. The field of strategic
change management in view of new product development is large and hence an attempt to
study it in relation to the oil industry in Kenya is likely to be a stimulant to other
academicians to improve an understanding of the various management issues affecting this
industry. | en |
