The influence of leadership styles on the implementation of the strategic plans in Non-Governmental Organisations in Kisumu County, Kenya

Abstract

Despite the evidence of the existence of strategic plans in nongovernmental organizations in Kenya, the greatest impediment to successful use of these strategies in development has been failure by organizations to implement them. Indeed, previous studies have shown that crafting strategic plans is a lot easier than to make them happen. The objective of the study was to find out the influence of leadership styles on the implementation of the strategic plans. The sample size of this descriptive survey design study was 10 Human Resource Managers and 70 financial officers giving a total of 80 respondents which has been selected through saturated sampling techniques. The study used questionnaires and interview schedules to collect data. The validity of the research instrument was ensured by conducting a pre-test study in three NGOs from the neighboring county. Data collected was analyzed using measures of central tendency, mean and median. The quantitative data was analyzed through descriptive statistics while qualitative findings were thematically analyzed. Results indicated that majority of the leaders (90.48%) in NGOs in Kisumu County do not have skills and abilities required to ensure effectiveness in the implementation of the strategic plans. There was high positive correlation (r=. 854) between leadership styles and the implementation of the strategic plans. The study recommended that Non-Governmental Coordination Board (NGCB) should advice NGOs on a leadership style that will provide direction, implementing plans and motivating NGOs in Kisumu County towards implementing strategic plans.