The Role of Leadership in Management of Strategic Change at Nairobi Bottlers Limited, Kenya
Abstract
The aim of the study was to establish the role of leadership in management of strategic
change at Nairobi bottlers limited. The research adopted a case study research design.
The case study involved a careful and complete examination of the entire social units and
institutions and embraced depth rather than breadth of the study. Both primary and
secondary data was collected for this study. Primary data was collected through an
interview guide that carries questions pertaining strategic change, the challenges
encountered in the process and the role of leadership in addressing the same. The
interview guide consisted of open-ended unstructured question to allow greater depth and
breadth of responses and was administered through personal interviews. Secondary data
consisted of various literatures about the company as recorded in the company profile,
company newsletters, annual reports of accounts, pertinent company correspondence as
well as various industry publications. The findings revealed that management of Nairobi
Bottlers Limited created an environment for participation and involvement of employees.
This was done by breaking down big groups into smaller units creating room for growth
since members from the team were appointed team leaders in charge of managing
operations while top managers concentrated on managing change. This reduced staff
resistance and high turnover, as they felt involved in the wide,r goal of enhancing growth
amidst competition and changes in the operating environment. The study noted that a lot
of challenges were faced handling competition brought about through unrelated
diversification and entry of Pepsi in the market. The challenges were both internal and
external. During the period most employees joined trade unions raising fears of unrest
and incitement among fellow team member. Nairobi Bottlers Limited also lost some of its
experienced employees to competition. Despite investing heavily in bridging gaps and
loopholes Nairobi bottlers sales continued to decline due to factors beyond the firm's
control. Such as change in climate, high inflation rate as well as cheap substitutes. The
study concluded that leadership role is fundamental in strategic change management.
Organizations go through series of changes during which leaderships role is to ensure that
the organization aligns to changes in the environment. The organizations leadership
should also forecast change and develop a vision of the desired future. Finally, the study
recommended that organizations should plan for change in order to maintain
competitiveness. Structures should also be put in place to anticipate likely changes in the
organizations environment. The implementation phase should also be closely monitored
and evaluated.
Citation
Ndungu,Erick M.,November,2013.The Role Of Leadership In Management Of Strategic Change At Nairobi Bottlers Limited, Kenya.Publisher
University of Nairobi