Strategy Implementation at Tangaza College, Kenya

Abstract

The strategy of an organization involves matching its corporate objectives and its available resources. In the development of strategy, managers are concerned with reconciling the business with the allocation of resources available. The implementation process involves the collective wisdom, knowledge, and even subconscious minds of the collaborators. Strikingly, organizations fail to implement about 70 per cent of their new strategies. This study aimed at determining the challenges that Tangaza College faces in strategy implementation and the research was conducted through a case study since it is a research on one organization. Both primary and secondary data was used for the study. An interview guide was administered among Heads of Departments and their assistants at Tangaza College to collect primary data and afterwards the results were edited for completeness and consistency. Conceptual content analysis was used in analyzing the data. The study found out that Tangaza College had a bureaucratic University structure. Validation, administration and review of programmes are controlled and managed wholly clearly defined procedures. The management formulates missions while the operating units are given autonomy to perform their administrative roles with flexibility to suit their areas of specialization. The study also found out that causes of delay in communicating with employees concerning issues related to the strategy implementation were poor vertical communication, lack of employee participation, lack of training and education. The College management implements strategic change stage by stage by analyzing the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats as well as any misaligned elements of each operating unit. The analysis reflects the move occurring in the continuing education. Contextualization is attained by means of programme diversification, progression ladders and professional recognition. The study recommends that Tangaza College should have a strategy to train its employees by arranging seminars to enlighten them on new ways of management. Furthermore, there is a clear need to improve on vertical communication and to adopt good management practices that will positively affect strategy implementation in the organization.