Real time strategic issue management practices in Kenya's companies quoted in Nairobi stock exchange.

Abstract

The current ever increasing environmental challenges facing organizational managers propelled the researcher to study and determine whether the real time strategic Issue management practices arc put ill place to ensure that these changing challenges are given immediate attention. Kenyan organisations laced with unfamiliar and novel strategic and operational issues may survive if mechanisms are put in place to address these issues as they unfold. The study's objectives were to establish the practices or real time strategic issues responses in Kenyan firms and to identify factors that determine these practices. The sample was a census survey of all companies (1/ 54) quoted in Nairobi Stock Exchange. This census included companies in the Ma in Investment Market Segments (Agricultural, Commercial &. Services,finance and investment Industrial & Allied); Alternative Investment Market Segment; and the suspended equity listed companies. It did not therefore include . companies exclusively classified in Fixed Income securities Market Segment. The Researcher chose all listed companies because they represent broad spectrum of the sectors in Kenyan economy. Structured Questionnaire instrument was used t~) collect the data. The data was analysed and presented using descriptive statistics and factor analysis. 57 percent or the sampled companies responded to the study. 11e results of the study reveals that: Significant number or companies studied practice real time SIM and that company structure is the most influencing factor ill execution of real time SI M. Or.e of the study constrains was that 23 companies did not respond. This implies that it was difficult to determine the practices and factors in these companies which did not respond. In conclusion, the study revealed that the companies studied practice real time SI M . The real time SIM practises/method used varied :1I11ong the companies studied with Issues '. Impact and ranking method being relatively more popular than the rest, followed by SWOT based on current information method, cross impact analysis method, and simple environmental impact analysis method. however no company studied used Euroquip method as described by Ans off (1990). The study also revealed that most of these companies studied tend to refer urgent decisions to the top management . It was found out that the factor that influence real time SIM practices most IS company structure followed by company size, profitability, competition, top management, infrastructure and technology in that order.