EFFECTS OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ON CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN AFRICAN UNION REGIONAL STANDBY FORCE
Teresa Wasonga Obadha - Master of Business Administration, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Dr. Jared Deya - Lecturer, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
Organizations are experiencing difficulties in change management because their management team does not understand the signals of dynamic changes and change programmes arising from organized management strategies such as lack of interoperability, business process reengineering, and empowerment and total quality management. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of strategic leadership on change management in African Union Regional Standby Force focusing on Eastern Africa Standby Force. Specific objectives of the study were: to establish the effect of strategic communication, management of core capabilities, effective corporate culture management and developing human capital on change management in Eastern Africa Standby Force. The study was hinged on resource base theory, the upper echelons theory, Lewins theory and the social exchange theory. The study used a descriptive research design. It was carried out in Nairobi, Kenya, the Eastern Africa Standby Force Headquarters and the target population was 237 comprising of the regional Military, Police and Civilian components. To determine the sample size, Nassiuma (2000) formula is used to give a sample size of 147. Main data collection instrument for the study was a structured questionnaire consisting of closed ended questions to collect primary data from respondents and Likert scales relating to the field of inquiry. Data was collected through administration of questionnaires. Data was then entered into the latest version of SPSS (Version 25.0) ready for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, mean score and standard deviation was estimated for all the quantitative data. The qualitative data from the open-ended questions were analysed using conceptual content analysis. Inferential statistics involving correlation and regression analyses were used to establish the relationships between the independent and dependent variables. Information was presented inform of tables and graphs. The study found that strategic communication affects change management in Eastern Africa Standby Force greatly. The study found that the vision of the organization is always in line with change capabilities. Moreover, it was found that: the mission statement reinvigorates the organization employees and provides guide in change management; vision of the organization helps the staff in understanding the strategy of change management. The study concluded that strategic communication had the greatest influence on change management in Eastern Africa Stand by Force in Kenya followed by developing human capital, then core capabilities while effective corporate culture had the least influence on the change management in Eastern Africa Standby Force in Kenya. The study recommended that strategic leadership must make change a continuous process and should be well communicated and known by the entire organization even the new comers in to the system and that strategic leadership must make change a continuous process and should be well communicated and known by the entire organization even the new comers in to the system.
