The process and challenges of implementing strategic change: A case study on Kwatos project in Kenya Ports Authority

Abstract

The phenomenon of change is not something new. Perhaps what is new is the fact that the volume, momentum and complexity of change are accelerating at an increasing rate due to globalization of the marketplace and technological advancements. Change management is considered important because literature is full of examples of change projects that have gone wrong. This research project sought to determine the process and challenges faced by KPA in implementing strategic change. To achieve the above stated objective, a case study research design was used to collect data on KWATOS change project. Primary data was collected between August and September 2009. A detailed interview guide was used in interviewing ten (10) senior officers in KPA. The respondents were two divisional heads, three departmental heads, the KWATOS Project Manager, three project team members and the Project Training Coordinator. All these were selected because of their functional roles in the implementation of KWATOS. The response rate was 100% as all the 10 respondents were interviewed as intended. The data collected was analyzed through content analysis technique. This revealed that the KWATOS implementation in KPA adopted Kotter’s 8 stages approach. A number of challenges were encountered in moving through the eight stages of pushing urgency up, putting together a guiding team, creating the vision and strategies, effectively communicating the vision and strategies, removing barriers to action, accomplishing short term wins, consolidating gains and producing more change and finally, creating a new culture to make change stick. The biggest challenge was organization culture. The study recommends that KPA should consider change management programmes targeting culture change. This calls for further research on the role of organization culture in managing change. The concept of resistance to change in public sector also deserves to be investigated further. Finally, there is need for further research to assess the impact of KWATOS on port efficiency in five years time.