ABSTRACT

The environments in which organizations operate have become increasingly uncertain posing a lot of challenges. County governments like any other organizations are also faced with similar challenges in strategy implementation since devolution is still a new concept of governance in Kenya. The implementation of the County Integrated Development Plan of 2013 has not been fully implemented in most counties because of inherited managerial and resource problems from former municipalities, town councils and county councils which form part of the county governments today. In this regard, this study aimed at determining the influence of strategy implementation practices and performance of county government in Kenya: A case of Tana River County, Kenya. The study‟s specific objectives were to examine the influence of organizational structure, organizational culture, resource allocation and communication on the performance of Tana river County, Kenya. The study was anchored by resource based theory, systems theory and stakeholder theory. Descriptive survey research design was used for this study. The target population of this study was management employees of Tana River County Government. The total population was 166 respondents comprising of County Executive, County Chief Officers, Directors, Administrators and County Officers. The study used proportionate stratified sampling method. Simple random sampling was used to select the sampled respondents. The sample size was 66 respondents. The instrument that was used to collect data was questionnaires for all the respondents. Qualitative data from the open ended questions was analyzed thematically in line with study objectives and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Regression analysis was used to test association between dependent variable and against dependent variables. The study established that a positive and significant influence was established between organizational structure, organizational culture, resource allocation, communication and organizational performance. The study concludes that organizational structure allows for the chain of command. Department leaders are in charge of delegating tasks and projects to subordinates so the department can meet project deadlines. Flexible, strong and unified cultures that enhances strategy implementation and affect implementation in a positive manner by aligning goals. Resource allocation is a central management activity that allows for strategy execution. The real value of any resource-allocation program lies in the resulting accomplishment of an organization‟s objectives. Communications is a major component, which should be recognized, embraced and its activities adequately funded. Communications function was found to be important to communication of the vision and mission. The study recommends improvement of organization structures through enhanced communication, involvement of employees in decision making, relevant training of employees and flexibility of policies and regulations related to strategy implementation. Leadership of the County need to invest in creating a defined culture and effective strategy implementation techniques. There is also need for the County to employ latest technological resources in their mandate to effectively fight crime in the 21st century. The County need to document internal communications channels and procedures, as part of the communications strategy. This applies not just to internal communication, but how staff communicate to external parties, and possible feedback channels.