Strategic management practices at wise-digits limited, in Kenya
Abstract
Strategic management helps organizations to create consistency between the organization
and environment within which an organization operates. Strategic management entails
specifically the vision mission and objectives, developing policies, plans and allocation
resources to implement the chosen strategy, Pearce & Robinson, (2011). Organizations in
the private sector have increasingly engaged in strategic management in policy making
and administrative decision and activities. The purpose of the study was to establish
strategic management practices at WiseDigits limited. The study was a case study that
had five interviewees drawn from the organizations top management including the
managing director. The researcher collected both primary and secondary data. The
researcher collected primary data through one on one interviews with the interviewees
while secondary data was gathered from existing documentation and general literature
available in the organization. Data was analyzed through content analysis. From the
findings, the researcher established that WiseDigits limited has a documented strategic
plan; the company had a vision and mission statements that were well documented and
communicated to the employees. The study also revealed that the company had a set of
core values that are well documented and institutionalized across the organization. The
study established that strategies were developed by the top management through a select
committee of representatives drawn from all departments in the organization. The select
committee works together with an external consultant who acts as the facilitator and
helps to put the documents together. The study established that strategy was implemented
through performance contracting and performance based activities. The study established
that strategy implementation plan is monitored through annual reviews and through
employee performance appraisal. The study established staff resistance to change, staff
ignorance of the relationship between the chosen strategy and the day-to-day activities
and operations as well as lack of budgetary resources as some of the challenges faced in
implementation. The researcher encountered a number of limitations in the course of
conducting the study the main limitation was the procedural undertakings involved in
carrying out the study and the fact that the interviewees to the study had very demanding
schedules necessitating rescheduling of the interviews to suit their schedules. The
researcher recommends that the management focuses to address the challenges
encountered in strategy implementation. The study established that there was so much
focus given to the process of strategy formulation at the expense of implementation the
study recommends that these two processes be viewed as a means and an end to each
other to ensure that the chosen strategy is fully implemented the study also recommends
that’s staff job promotions be based on current job performance and on whether the
employees has the required skill to take up the job. From the findings the researcher made
suggestions for more research on factors affecting strategic management at WiseDigits
limited. This study did not look into how the strategic management practices adopted by
WiseDigits limited have contributed to the overall performance and customer
satisfaction. The study therefore suggests further research on how strategic management
practices adopted by WiseDigits limited have influenced the overall organization
performance and customer satisfaction. The study further suggests that similar studies be
replicated in other organizations especially in the private sector with the aim of
comparing strategic management practices adopted by organizations in the private sector.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Description
Master Of Business Administration