Strategic Issue Management Practices Among Manufacturing Firms in Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Everyday organisations face different events and developments arising both from external and internal environment. Strategic Issue Management helps managers not only to manage these events but also to take advantage of the opportunities arising out of the business environment. The motivation of this study was based on the fact that organization‟s performance depends on how they manage their strategic issues. The main objective of this study was to determine the Strategic Issue Management practices that manufacturing firms in Nairobi employ to strengthen their positions in the industry. Over the last several years, performance of the manufacturing sector has been affected by low capital injection, use of obsolete technologies and high costs of doing business which is attributed to poor state of physical infrastructure, limited access to finance, limited research and development and poor institutional framework. The evolution of the manufacturing industry has presented both challenges and opportunities for the firms. The study was a survey of strategic issue management practices among manufacturing firms in Nairobi .A sample size of 40 firms was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The data was collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of both closed ended and open ended questions .The result of the study revealed that 60% of the firms practices Strategic Issue Management. The conclusion was that various Strategic Issue Management practices was being adopted by manufacturing firms in Kenya and respondents had shown a high level of awareness that Strategic Issue Management played in improving the managements of firms. The recommendation made was that Strategic Issue Management needed to be implemented in the organization in order to achieve its objectives.