INFLUENCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF STRATEGIC PLANS WITHIN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS OF KENYA
Abstract
Purpose of the study: Examine how organizational structure influences the realization of efficiency in implementing strategic plans.
Problem statement: Many Kenyans were hopeful the devolved governments would deliver on public services effectively. However, sections of Kenyan citizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the county governments. Public service delivery has been unsatisfactory to the citizens (Mwangi, Kiarie & Kiai, 2018). Kenyan Counties misappropriated billions of shillings set aside for development projects, a good number which remain incomplete years after the expiry of the time set for construction (Onyango, 2017). The study seeks to bridge the research gaps and establish the influence of organizational structure on the implementation of strategic plans within the context of the county governments of Kenya.
Study methodology: The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The study population shall constitute the 47 County Governments in Kenya. The study targeted collecting information that represents the guided knowledge of all the strategy executors within the parent county governments in the Western Kenya region which has ten (10) county governments Primary sources were accomplished through adoption of semi-structured questionnaires and interview schedules. The study instrument of data collection was tested using face validity. Reliability on the other hand tests to see if an instrument returns what it was designed for over various environments. Diagnostics analysis included normality, linearity heteroscedasticity and Auto correlation. The statistical software, SPSS was used to analyze the quantitative data.
Results of the study: organizational structure has a positive and significant effect on implementation of strategic plans in county governments of Western Kenya. Correlation analysis showed organizational structure was positively and significantly associated to implementation of strategic plans. Regression of coefficient showed there was a positive and significant relationship between organizational structure and implementation of strategic plans. The study adopted the alternative hypothesis that organizational structure has a significant effect on the implementation of strategic plans in county governments of western Kenya.
Conclusion and policy recommendation: Organizational structure was found to be satisfactory in explaining implementation of strategy plans and a good predictor of implementation of strategic plans. The study concluded that organizational structure has a positive and significant effect on implementation of strategic plans in county governments of Western Kenya. Organizational structure is particularly important in achieving goals and results. The study recommended that organizational structure of the county governments should be aligned to the strategy being implemented. The county government should train middle level management on the new strategy that is being introduced. It is also important for county governments to institute organizational structures that support strategy implementation and one that ensures that there is overall coordination in inter-departmental linkages and flow of communication. The county governments should also ensure that their organizational structure follows
Keywords: organizational structure, Strategic Plans, County Governments, Kenya
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