Effect of Organizational Culture on Strategy Implementation at Autoxpress Limited, Kenya

Abstract

Organizations today exist in a dynamic and more complex environment which forces them to quickly and continuously adjust and respond to the environmental demands for long term sustainability. The automotive sector in Kenya is one of the promising and fast growing today. Competition in the sector grows at a high rate therefore enabling changes and improvement in processes and activities in the industry. AutoXpress Limited is amongst the key players in the Kenyan auto parts retail and vehicle servicing market. With a projected increase in the number of automobiles on Kenyan road at five million by 2030, the future of auto parts retailers and vehicle servicing remains bright. In response to this, these companies have to come up with strategies that would enable them prevail the harsh and unpredictable business environment. A successful strategy implementation process is linked to a firm‟s organizational culture in that effective strategy needs to be aligned with organizational culture. Organizational culture is a company‟s unique own set of beliefs, values and management styles which reflect in the company‟s structure and system. This study aimed at addressing the gap by identifying the effect of organizational culture on strategy implementation at AutoXpress Limited. The study employs a case study research design and is grounded on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Higgins Eight S‟s Model frames. Data sources include through interviews with senior management at AutoXpress Limited. Data was analysed using content analysis technique. The findings established that AutoXpress‟ culture enabled it to swiftly plan and adapt to changes in the market. Employee involvement and ownership of the organization enabled a successful strategy implementation process. Recommendations are presented.