| dc.description.abstract | The concept of strategic planning and implementation has taken root in the public
sector. This study set out to document the state of strategic management in a very
important segment of the public sector i.e the non-commercial state corporations. In
Kenya, non-commercial state corporations are, and will continue to be, a central pillar
for ensuring that affordable and accessible services are delivered to the citizenry.
The subject of strategic management has been widely covered. Seemingly, every issue
associated with strategic management from a theoretical perspective-be it the origins,
history, concepts, definitions and application-has been adequately covered by various
scholars and in great detail. To achieve the objectives of the study, a comprehensive
review of available literature was done. Strategic management as presented by various
authors was analyzed with emphasis of its application to non-commercial
organizations in the public sector. Arguments for and against the application of
strategic management concepts in the public sector are considered. Various factors
influencing the formulation and implementation of strategic plans are identified. The
challenges encountered during the implementation of strategic plans are highlighted.
From the literature review, it is established that the strategic management paradigm is
largely applicable to non-commercial state corporations and has been successfully implemented.
This study looks at strategic management from a straightforward perspective. The
study investigates, identifies and documents some of the processes, the factors
influencing and the challenges faced by non-commercial state corporations in the
application of strategic management theories, models and concepts. This study
highlights some of the practical issues, challenges and parameters within which
strategies are formulated and implemented in the public sector. Notably, this study
documents the extent to which strategic plans have been implemented by noncommercial
state corporations. This study has established that in the context of
leadership, the political-legal environment in which the leadership is exercised is an
important factor. The findings of this study are to a large extent consistent with findings of other
studies on similar topics and conducted in the public sector in Kenya. The findings of
this study have presented new insights by bringing out how the senior management in
charge of strategic planning and implementation in non-commercial state corporations
conceptualize and implement strategic plans. This study ranks the factors and
challenges of strategy implementation from the perspective of senior management in
the non-commercial state corporations. The ranking is based on mean scores
computed based on a Likert type profile. The study reviews the ranking and brings out
elements that may hamper the adoption of a properly conceptualized strategic
management approach in non-commercial state corporations in Kenya.
This study has confirmed that strategic management is widely practiced amongst noncommercial
state corporations in Kenya. It was also found that neither the
corporation’s annual budget nor the number of employees determines whether or not
strategic management will be adopted by a state corporation. | en |
