Challenges of Implementing Expansion Strategy at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya

Abstract

Strategy implementation is an important process in strategic management. This process is faced with complexity and challenges as many organizations create great plan for their future, but fail to fully implement the desired changes. Strategy implementation task is the most complicated and time consuming part of strategic management cutting across vertically all facets of management and must be initiated from many points within the organization to ensure its success. The way a strategy is implemented is governed by setting up an ideal framework, rules, guideline and procedures to adopt in meeting the goals and objectives. The research was thus aimed at investigating the challenges of implementing expansion strategy at KNH .The study adopted a case study research design as it sought to gain in-depth understanding of the specific challenges in implementing expansion strategy. The researcher used an interview guide to collect data from staff in management level at various departments within the branches. A total of twenty one respondents were interviewed using an unstructured interview guide. The respondents were the senior managers staffs in the hospital that are responsible for strategy formulation and implementation. The data collected was qualitative and was analysed using content analysis method. Data collected was first checked for consistency, coded and analyzed to arrive at the various conclusions. The study concluded on the major challenges in implementing expansion strategy at KNH and also recommended measures the hospital has taken to overcome the challenges. The study had limitation since it focused on senior managers only who hardly had sufficient time for the interviews. The study contributes to the theory of expansion strategy especially in healthcare sector where we expect in year 2030 affordable healthcare will be available to all citizens of Kenya. It also has implication on policy makers and practitioners in healthcare service industry in matters concerning challenges expanding public hospital all citizens. Further research should be conducted to establish the process and challenges of strategy implementation among public hospitals in healthcare service industry.