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The purpose of the study was to find out the determinants of strategy implementation by the international reproductive health (RH) non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Kenya for attainment of MDG 5 by 2015. The objectives of the study were to analyse the effects of the determinants of strategy implementation for attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 by international RH NGOs operating in Kenya. This study was guided by three specific objectives: to analyse the effect of policy regulations on strategy implementation by international RH NGOs in attainment of MDG 5; to determine the effect of management competencies on strategy implementation by international RH NGOs in attainment of MDG 5 and to explore the effect of resource allocation on strategy implementation by international RH NGOs in attainment of MDG 5 by 2015 in Kenya.

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was carried out from January to March 2012 in Nairobi, Kenya. The study populations comprised of programme staff and RH technical advisors for the international RH NGOs operating in Kenya and headquartered in Nairobi. The sampling design was a census method since all the ten international RH NGOs based in Nairobi were selected. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were used using both closed and open-ended questionnaires. The quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 20 for both descriptive and inferential analysis. Qualitative data were analysed descriptively. Measures of location and variability were used for analysis and hypothesis tested using Fisher ' s Exact test and regression analysis.

The research findings showed that policy regulations, management competencies and the resource allocations determine successful implementation of the strategic plans. Inadequate resource allocations have a direct bearing on the implementation of the RH programmes which invariably affects the attainment of the MDG 5 by 2015. The study did not accept the null hypotheses and therefore showed that there is relationship between policy regulations, management competencies and resource allocations and the implementation of strategic management plans by international RH NGOs operating in Kenya.

Although numerous studies acknowledge that strategies frequently fail not because of inadequate strategy formulation, but because of insufficient implementation, strategy implementation has received less research attention than strategy formulation. This paper addresses this gap.

Strategy implementation is an enigma in many companies. The problem is illustrated by the unsatisfying low success rate (only 10 to 30 percent) of intended strategies. The primary objectives are somehow dissipated as the strategy moves into implementation and the initial momentum is lost before the expected benefits are realized. This article discusses how a successful implementation is a challenge that demands patience, stamina and energy from the involved managers. The key to success is an integrative view of the implementation process. With the help of a checklist the ten critical success factors of an implementation process are figured out. To demonstrate how strategy implementation can be done in practice a case study is constructed. The article is built biaxially: on the one side the critical success factors within the strategy implementation process are explained, on the other hand the concrete example of making good use of these points in the form of an underscored case study is provided. The article provides some practical guidelines for strategy implementation in general. Strategy implementation differs completely from the formulation process and requires much more discipline, planning, motivation and controlling processes. The case study demonstrates that these guidelines are well tried and reliable in practice.

While metaphors are widely used in strategy teaching and development, this study aims to present an approach how to benefit from metaphor analysis in strategy implementation. The authors find that metaphors used by organizational actors in strategy implementation processes carry a great range of implicit meanings and tacit knowledge that – when made explicit and critically examined – may serve as early warning signals to anticipate difficult or problematic developments in the strategy rollout phase.

The authors conducted narrative interviews with the main protagonists involved in the implementation of a strategic knowledge management project for the sales force of a multinational telecommunication solution provider. The data collected resulted in the surfacing of distinct groups of metaphors used by different organizational groups at different phases of the project implementation.

The metaphor analysis showed that metaphors not only reflect but also foreshadow project developments, and thereby reveal organizational conflicts that may erupt at later stages of the strategy implementation. Learning through metaphors can be realized through a sensitization to the detrimental effects of particular metaphors, as well as through the revelation of inconsistencies between the metaphors used and the exposed behaviors.

The study is an in-depth case study of a strategy implementation project in one organization. While the findings are related to the particular case context, the methodological approach to use metaphor analysis as an early warning signal in strategy implementation can be replicated for strategy implementation processes in general.

Organizations may use metaphor analysis as a tool to calibrate to what extent their strategy implementation is aligned with initial strategic objectives. Metaphor analysis will be particularly helpful to check if there is an alignment in the implementation approach between different organizational groups. Such analysis can serve as an early warning signal for the strategy implementation phase.

The approach provides an inexpensive but very effective way of anticipating problematic project developments and unforeseen difficult collaborations during strategy implementation processes. With its focus on metaphors, it captures implicit meanings and connotations that business languages tend to filter out, yet that play a powerful role for enabling or obstructing strategy implementation.

Organisational strategy becomes reality by connecting organisation’s resources and capabilities in daily operations, and physical workspace is one of the environments in which this takes place. This study aims to explore to what extent factors required for successful strategy implementation are considered when designing, using and managing workspaces of knowledge-intensive organisations.

For the study, managers in 25 large and medium-sized knowledge-intensive organisations were interviewed. The semi-structured interviews focused on organisation’s strategy, strategy implementation practices and workspace design and management. To form a comprehensive framework of strategy implementation success factors for the study, the factors of 11 frameworks were analysed, grouped and renamed.

Current workspace design, usage and management mainly support human-related strategy implementation factors. However, both organisation- and human-related factors are needed for the strategy implementation to be successful. Therefore, the organisations studied may have unused potential in their workspaces to ensure strategy-aligned operations and behaviour.

Due to the potential imbalance between organisation- and human-related strategy implementation factors, a more holistic, organisational-level approach to workspace design, usage and management is recommended to ensure the success of strategy implementation.

Workspaces have extensively been studied from individual strategy implementation factors’ as well as employees’ perspectives. Prior to this work, there are only few studies exploring workspace in the holistic, strategy implementation context.

This study focuses on the key success factors (KSFs) for strategy implementation in the fisheries industry in Iceland identified by chief executive officers within the industry. The purpose is to provide a comprehensive categorization of KSFs that influence how strategy is mobilized. The secondary aim is to uncover the level of priority that companies place on the dimensions of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The methodology involves qualitative case studies based on in-depth elite interviews with nine chief executive officers of Icelandic fishing companies.

The research indicates strategy implementation can be improved in four main areas. First, by engaging and involving all employees in the implementation process. Second, by enhancing bottom-up innovation and communication. Third, through alignment of the corporate strategy and the UN SDGs, and fourth, by following rigorous action plans with clear, measurable and prioritized objectives and timeframes for the managers to follow. These improvements have both theoretical and practical implications for the fishing industry. Consequently, a conceptual framework for integrated strategy implementation in the fisheries industry is proposed.

A limited number of in-depth elite interviews were conducted since access to the chief executive officers of the country’s largest fishing companies proved challenging. However, the nine companies collectively hold nearly 50% of the country’s total quota, thereby proving a deep understanding of the topic relevant to the industry. The research uncovered a substantial cross-section of viewpoints, and as such, the results are relevant for both academia and practitioners alike.

This study contributes to the debate on KSFs relevant to strategy implementation within a specific industry but also aligns with the UN SDGs by proposing a dedicated framework for implementing strategies in the fisheries industry. Overall, this study can help managers achieve strategy implementation.

After completing the case, students will be able to understand the reasons for the lack of successful strategy implementation in companies, especially engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) and general contractors in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industry; understand the importance of alignment as an organization capital in successful strategy implementation and familiarize themselves with assessing the alignment readiness of companies; understand the importance of leadership as an organization capital in successful strategy implementation, comprehend one of the most essential theories of leadership in the world of management and familiarize themselves with assessing leadership readiness using this theory; and understand the importance of leadership as an organization capital in successful strategy implementation, comprehend one of the most essential models of organizational culture in the world of management and understand how to assess the readiness of organizational culture in companies.

This case discusses the reasons for strategy implementation failure at PetroSahand International Group, one of the most prominent EPC and general contractors in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry in Iran. This case also examines organization capitals such as alignment, leadership and organizational culture, the three most important factors for the successful implementation of strategies, at this company. PetroSahand is an international, project-oriented company that has been able to successfully complete more than 100 large domestic and international projects during its four decades of activity. However, the company is currently facing many difficulties such as overdue debts and projects.

The target audience of this case are graduates and undergraduates in the courses of Strategic Planning, Strategic Management, Strategy Implementation, Strategy in Action and Change Management. Additionally, this case study can be useful for senior managers of companies and can help in the successful implementation of strategies as well as improving their company’s alignment, leadership and organizational culture.

Teaching Notes are available for educators only.

CSS 11: Strategy.

The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature on strategy implementation with a view to highlight the pitfalls and use these to build a new framework that could be more relevant to the conditions existing in the Indian context.

This paper provides a review of strategy implementation frameworks available both in strategy literature and in strategy texts to identify the main pitfalls in effective strategy implementation and then proceeds to propose a framework that could be more suitable to the Indian context. This proposed framework is then applied and described in the context of a case study of the Reliance group of companies of India.

The proposed strategy implementation framework covers many of the aspects hitherto neglected in the frameworks suggested by researchers and authors more attuned to the Western context. Two of the major issues in strategy implementation not covered in the existing framework are of procedural and project implementation that may be considered as relevant in the Indian context.

The proposed framework is demonstrated in the case of only one Indian company. The efficacy of the framework need to be further investigated.

Application of the proposed framework is likely to result in a more comprehensive coverage of the vital issues in strategy implementation that are expected to do away with the pitfalls that are commonly experienced in the process of strategy implementation.

The paper proposes a new framework of strategy implementation based on the unique requirements of the Indian context.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the role of the balanced scorecard in strategy implementation.

This paper provides a review of strategy implementation literature to identify the main inhibitors of successful strategy implementation and then proceeds to critically review the balanced scorecard and evaluate the contribution it can make to strategy implementation, in particular how it may be able to mitigate the problems associated with strategy implementation.

It is argued in the paper that the balanced scorecard, subject to the adoption of suitable processes, can address the key problems associated with strategy implementation including communication, the role of middle managers and integration with existing control systems. The study raises a series of research questions and proposes avenues for further research.

More than half strategies devised by organisations are never actually implemented. At a time of increasing competition and globalisation; shorter lead times and increased customer sophistication, the effectiveness of strategy implementation is even more important. The findings of this study will provide the basis for research that will improve this vital management activity.

The effective implementation of corporate strategy is often overlooked in strategic management literature. There is still recognition that there is a need for further research. By combining two eclectic fields of research, i.e. strategy implementation and performance measurement, it is proposed that new insights can be gained to inform future practice.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of literatures and previous studies on the relationship between strategic planning and performance and propose conceptual designs and hypotheses using multidimensional constructs to advance the understanding of this relationship, contribute to existing debates in the extant literature and make recommendations.

A semi-systematic literature and previous studies (studied by various groups of researchers within diverse disciplines) review approach has been used in this paper to contribute to the debate on whether strategic planning affects performance and how. Using more recent knowledge about the strategic planning concept, the semi-systematic review looked at how research within strategic planning has progressed over the past five decades and its relationship with performance.

In the past, the strategic planning performance relationship has been treated as a black box and this paper proposes that the conceptualisation of a number of constructs and the inclusion of strategy implementation will help converting the black box into a white box. To strengthen support for the debate regarding the relationship between strategic planning and performance this paper proposes a further conceptual/operational design, mathematical expressions and hypotheses to be tested empirically in further studies. The proposal provides a conceptualisation of the major constructs (strategy development; strategy implementation; and performance), and the use of strategy implementation as a mediator and/or as a moderator in the planning performance relationship.

This study is limited due to fact that the findings have not been tested empirically, it is not a cross-sectional and/or a longitudinal research and only a limited number of dimensions of strategy development and strategy implementation have been used. In addition, the approach used is a semi-systematic review followed by quantitative thinking, which, in turn, typically assumes the relevance of and a warrant mainly from a positivist epistemology.

The proposed design developed in this paper ensures that core issues in planning performance relationships research are addressed. Furthermore, the inclusion of strategy implementation in planning performance relationship studies means that the whole chain of activities in the strategy process is being considered, drawing a complete and comprehensive conclusion on how strategic planning affects an organisation’s performance. In addition, by separating strategy implementation and by not combining it with formulation/formation activities will theoretically and analytically help to evaluate the importance or role of each stage of the strategy process. Moreover, the conceptualisation and operationalisation of the key concepts as multidimensional constructs contribute to past research gaps. Finally, this paper provides some clarity to many contradictory findings concerning the strategic planning and performance relationship.

Culture is considered as one of the variables that influence the total quality management (TQM) adoption process. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between cultural dimensions and the strategy of the firms in TQM implementation. These relationships are the subject of prior research. Furthermore, the authors make a comparative analysis of cultural dimensions on strategic choices of the firms, i.e. innovators, prospectors and defenders in TQM implementation.

From the existing literature review on TQM practices and organizational culture, 14 cultural dimensions were employed with organizational strategy in this present study. By using survey data collection method, 111 Indian firms were selected. The authors considered three strategy parameters and six structural attributes to identify the strategy of the firms, namely innovators, prospectors and defenders identified using cluster analysis. Furthermore, the relationship between organizational culture and strategy was examined using one-way ANOVA approach.

The results of the study revealed that eleven of the fourteen hypotheses supported which relating the cultural dimensions to TQM implementation with the strategic orientation. With the help of significant related values of cultural dimensions to the particular strategic firms, it is also found that implementation of TQM is easy or not. Some of the organizations with a particular strategic orientation will be able to implement TQM easily and successfully but some organizations will have difficulty to implement it successfully.

The firms hold their importance with respect to the different strategic orientation toward the various aspects of organizational cultures and TQM approaches in its implementation. Managerially, due to increased business competitiveness and economic pressures, top management sees the way in adopting TQM practices to achieve a competitive advantage. Apparently, it is evident that matching of TQM practices for a different strategy of the firms with various cultural dimensions leads to the smooth functioning of the organization. This study helps to the current organizations in implementing TQM with their respective culture.

This research can be useful for three strategic firms, namely innovators, prospectors and defenders to achieve effective implementation of TQM practices with consideration and understanding of the advantage of each culture dimension. The framework of the current study represents the effectiveness in assessing the TQM practices in individual cultural dimensions and its significant role.