Implementation of Strategic Change Management Practices at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the strategic change management practices at ICIPE and also to examine the perceived impacts of those strategic change management practices. Inorder to conduct this study the research design adopted was a case study which involved that contributed to achieving the above objectives. Personal interviews were done through the use of a comprehensive interview guide with main focus of unit managers from both the research and disciplinary units as well as from the finance and administration units. Content analysis was the mode used to collect the data and most of the gathered data was qualitative in nature. Findings of this study revealed that the main strategic change management practices that have taken place in ICIPE over the last three to six years are salary harmonization, shifting from a paper system to a paperless system, the organization restructuring leading to a change in the organogram, the massive investments in the construction and renovation of modem laboratories and finally the impending merger between IITA and ICIPE; however the ones that the interviewees were familiar with most were the first two changes. In these changes, various impacts were encountered that affected the entire ICIPE fraternity. From the study certain issues were recommended by the researcher based on the findings. Some of the recommendations included a more transparent relationship between the top management and staff and need to consider implementing strategic changes as involving taking a leap of faith. Further research was suggested inorder to cover other similar organizations especially the ICIPE sister organization that this would provide more useful information for comparison purposes.