Relationship between strategic management and Performance of tea-manufacturing firms in Kenya

Abstract

Strategic management is concerned with strategy formulation, implementation and control. This process involves specifying an organization's objectives, developing policies and plans to achieve these objectives, and allocating resources so as to implement the plans. This study focuses on strategic management and its relation to performance of private sector organizations in Kenya with specific reference to the tea-manufacturing firms in the country. The main interest was to find out the relationship between the state of strategic management and performance of private sector organizations through a census survey of the tea manufacturing organizations in Kenya. This study is presented in five chapters and sections through which the researcher has tried to discuss the above issues. Quantitative as well as qualitative data analysis has been utilized. Summary tables containing mean scores, frequencies and percentages have been used extensively in presenting the findings of the study. The major finding of the study was that the level of practice (state) of strategic management had a direct positive contribution to the performance of the organizations studied. Those organizations that did not practice strategic management performed relatively poorly compared to those that practiced. Emerging strategic management knowledge was therefore making a major contribution to the economic development of the nation. The findings of this study should be understood and evaluated in light of the limitations of the study.- This study is especially helpful to the tea

industry and other similar organizations in Kenya. It should generally be useful to the Directors and Managers of private sector organizations, and particularly those in the tea industry, whose responsibilities include formulating and implementing strategies.