dc.description.abstract | Strategy implementation involves organization of the firm's resources and the motivation of
staff to achieve objectives. Organisation’s performance is the measure of standard or
prescribed indicators of effectiveness, efficiency, and environmental responsibility such as,
cycle time, productivity, waste reduction, and regulatory compliance. The objective of this
study was to assess the relationship between strategy implementation, strategic alignment and
performance at Catholic Relief Services, Kenya. The study was conducted through a case
study, focussing on strategy implementation and strategic alignment on performance of
Catholic Relief Services. The researcher used interview guides with both closed and open
ended questions to collect data. Primary and secondary data were collected for the purpose of
this study and analysed using content analysis. From the study findings it was clear that
strategy implementation and strategic alignment influence organisation performance in a case
where the organization uses various measures such as projected performance of competitors,
organization goals, past performance of the organisation and projected performance of
organisation in the same industry to assess its performance. The study established that
implementation of the new strategy had influenced organization and individual performance
positively including organisation growth to a great extent with strategic program areas
influencing opportunities that would be pursued in the market.. The study concluded that
alignment of core resources and the assessment of capabilities were critical towards
improving performance. The study contributes to theory by providing the relevance of direct
linkages proposed by McKinsey 7-S framework in effective implementation and steering of
resources dedicated for strategy. This study provides several implications for practice as it
presents management with an insight on the role of structure, capabilities, and functional
competencies in the business strategy and performance nexus. Managers must simultaneously
implement the right strategy with the right capabilities and functional activity as mediating
factors. The study recommended a review of core competencies, clear articulation of the goals
and objectives of the strategy, increased resource allocation to strategic areas of operation and
staffing the organisation with requisite skills to support the strategy implementation efforts to
realise an improvement in organizational performance. The study recommends further
research on the success of the “One Agency Approach” across other regions where Catholic
Relief Services has its operations | en_US |