Leadership and Management of Strategic Change at Equity Bank Limited Kenya

Abstract

This study sought to determine the role of leadership in the management of strategic change at Equity Bank Kenya Limited, with a view to enhancing the practice of leadership, performance and management of the bank and other organisations in Kenya. Based on the Transformational theory of leadership, the study determined the effect of the various leadership styles and behaviours on management of change, realization of change objectives, employee morale, motivation and their overall satisfaction with their jobs. The study design was a case study of Equity Bank where the researcher interviewed top management team drawn from the bank’s management. The qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis allowing the researcher to draw inferences from the data collected.The results from this study indicated that different leadership styles were adopted in the organization depending on the situation so as to reinforce the need for change. A significant majority of interviewees reported that the involvement of employees in the decision making process of the bank made them feel included in the change management process and the bank’s leadership recognized the employee’s efforts by making the work environment condusive for their participation. The researcher recommended that given the importance of proper leadership during the process of management of strategic change in an organization, it is mandatory that organizations select the type of leaders with the necessary set of skills and abilities in order to ensure that the change management process is handled correctly. Further research should also be conducted in other banks and organizations to confirm findings of the study.