Challenges of Implementing Strategic Human Resource Management at the Kenya Sugar Board

Abstract

This research project aimed at investigating the challenges of implementing strategic human resource management at the Kenya Sugar Board. The researcher looked at various aspects of strategic human resource management including the concept of strategic human resource management and its relationship to strategic management and how human resource strategies are linked to the overall organizational strategy through the practice of strategic human resource management.. The study was based on case study research design. The challenges of implementing strategic Human Resource Management may vary considerably from one organization to another, therefore, case study was the most appropriate design for the study since the findings cannot be authoritatively generalized to other organizations. The data collected through an interview guide and the respondents were the organization’s nine heads of department. The respondents were restricted to the nine heads of department because they were viewed to be the custodians of strategy formulation and implementation in the organization and were in a better position to respond to questions that touched on any form of organizational strategy. The data was analyzed using content analysis. Each question was analyzed by use of simple majority rule that is the most frequently occurring thought or answer from the respondents was assumed to be prevailing situation in the organization. The study results showed close relationship to the empirical study carried out at chapter 2. Many of the arguments that were presented at the empirical review were echoed by the respondents as the major challenges that deterred prompt implementation of strategichuman resource management in the organization. For instance, majority of the respondents were in agreement that the lack of a cohesive culture in the organization was a major challenge to the development and implementation of organizational strategies, a fact that had been established at the literature review stage. All in all, the strategy implementation process normally requires much more energy and time than the formulation process. A creative chaos can be advantageous for the Formulation phase, whereas the implementation stage, which is more administrative, demands discipline, planning and controlling of the entire process.