INFLUENCE OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ON STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Strategic leadership has been identified as one of the possible determinants of organizational processes and outcomes. In spite of the increasing role of strategic leadership in organizations, the influence of strategic leadership on strategy implementation has been given scanty attention in prior studies. This study therefore sought to examine the influence of strategic leadership on strategy implementation in universities in Kenya.  The study targeted 31 chartered public universities and 18 chartered private universities. Structured questionnaires were used to collect the data. The respondents were the executive officers of the universities who included Vice-Chancellors, DVC’s, Registrars, Principals, Deputy Principals, Human Resource Managers and Chief Finance Officers. Regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of strategic leadership on strategy implementation. The results revealed that strategic leadership styles (transformational and transactional) singly and jointly had a positive effect on strategy implementation. The study therefore recommends that all organizations both public and private should practice strategic leadership, both transformational and transactional leadership to ensure success in strategy implementation and thus improve organizational performance.  

Keywords: Strategic Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Transactional Leadership, Strategy Implementation, Contextual Factors