Strategic responses to security challenges by ministry of interior and coordination in Kenya

Abstract

Strategic response is a set of decisions and actions that result into the formulation and implementation of plans designed to achieve the organization’s objective (Ansoff and McDonnell, 1990). They are guided by the theories of strategy which have been developed over a period of time for use in management. There are four theories that guide strategy and strategic response. The study objectives included: To determine the level of turbulence in the external environment in Kenya in which telecommunications contractors operate and to determine the application of strategic concepts in guiding strategic responses by telecommunication contractors to changes in the external environment in Kenya. This study sought to understand the strategic responses that the telecommunication companies in Kenya adopted in response to the changes in their external business environment. The changes in the business environment were found to be mostly caused by the technological changes, the competition in the market and political legal factors. The changes in technology and competition in the market were found to be the most prevalent causes of the changes in the market. The methods used by the businesses to respond to the changes were also evaluated. Most of the responses centered on the efforts by the organizations to conform to the changes in a positive way. The organizations use training and education to deal with the changes brought in by the political legal factors. Early compliance has also been noted as one of the strategic methods used by the organizations to deal with the changes brought by the politico legal factors. The changes brought about by the technology are responded to using different methods. Some of the studied organizations outsource some of the services in order to avoid the capital costs that may come with the purchase of the new technology. Others use the existing technology to seamlessly play a role in the new technology. Mergers and acquisitions are also used by the organizations in order to deal with the changes in the market. This helps the organizations to synergistically deal with the changes in the market. The study also found out that most of the organizations were agile when it came to dealing with the changes in market. As well, they were able to respond to the changes with promptness when they occurred in the market. This indicates that the companies are prepared to deal with the market uncertainties. The strategic planning was also tested in this study. It was found out that most of the organizations only carried out strategic planning once in a year. Generally, it was found the telecommunications contractors in Kenya responded to changes in their external environment through capability transformations which was achieved by reconfiguring their internal capabilities and available external opportunities. This capability transformation enabled them to fit and compete in the new environment and confirmed the strategic theory of dynamic capability.