Strategic Management Practices at Farm Concern International Based in Kenya

Abstract

Strategic management is concerned with the complexity arising out of ambiguity and non-routine situations with organization-wide rather than operation-specific implications. The complexity is that there is no one universal approach to strategic management. Organizations carry out strategic management differently due to the fact that management is context specific. NGOs operating within the developing countries, Kenya included, have faced turbulent environmental changes. They have been forced to constantly scan the environment for strategic positioning especially due to the rate at which grants from developed countries are reducing. The study objective was to establish the strategic management practices at Farm Concern International based in Kenya. Literature review was carried out to establish the theories forming the foundation of the study. Case study was the design used to get detailed information regarding Farm Concern International’s strategic management practices. The data was collected through interview guides administered on seven (7) senior managers including two (3) senior managers from directorate offices and four (4) senior managers heading various divisions at Farm Concern International regional office. Content analysis as one that provides the researcher with a qualitative picture of respondents’ concerns, ideas, attitudes and feelings was used to analyse data. The study established that there were informal strategic management practices until 2013 when the organization embarked on formal strategic planning. Donors conflicting demands came out as the most influencing factor on strategy formulation and implementation. This was highlighted to be the main reason why no formal strategy document had been formulated in the last one decade. At nascent stage, FCI could not craft strategy accommodating the interests of all donors. The study recommended that strategy development should ensure donors and other stakeholders’ buy-into the strategic direction. This will be achieved by ensuring stakeholders’ involvement in the strategy development process as much as possible. The strategy document must be compelling and convincing to the eyes of major stakeholders so as to marshal resources from other quarters other than being overly dependent on donor funding. The study was carried out within time and resources constraints. The researcher suggested two areas for further research. A repeat study on strategic management practices at the Farm Concern international should be conducted after a few years of putting the strategy into implementation. Researchers should further find out whether other than the tenets of strategy, there are other factors that would contribute to organizational exponential growth and whether those factors could be sustainable in non-governmental organizations.