Strategic Issue Management by Tea Exporting Companies in Kenya

Abstract

This study was geared towards establishing the strategic issue management practices by tea exporting companies in Kenya while identifying the factors that influence strategic issue management practices. The research design used was a census cross-sectional survey. The population consisted of all tea exporting companies in Kenya who are members of EATTA. The total population was sixty seven members and out of these, thirty five responded representing a 52.2% response rate. The study used questionnaires as the main method of data collection. The primary data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics in form of frequency tables, percentages, mean and standard deviation. The findings were presented in form of tables and figures. The relationship of the elements was investigated using chi-square test. The study found out that majority of tea exporting companies are owned by locals and most have been in the tea exporting business for over ten years, a period considered adequate enough for them to have mastered the dynamics of the business. Further, it was realized that a majority of the respondents consider the businesses external environment to be dynamic hence always changing and that the changes were new, and had not experienced before. It was established that the onus of implementation, monitoring and management of strategic issues in the companies fell on the higher management levels according to a majority of the respondents.