Organizational Internal Dynamics and Execution of Strategies in Public Service Water Providers in Kitui County, Kenya

Author

Mukola Damaris Wambua and Dr. Anthony Mwendwa

Abstract

 Strategy execution remains a major challenge in public sector organizations even where formal strategic plans exist. In public water service providers, effective execution is particularly important because strategic decisions influence service reliability, operational efficiency, institutional accountability and community welfare. This study examined the effect of organizational internal dynamics on strategy execution among public service water providers in Kitui County, Kenya. Specifically, the study assessed organizational culture, resource allocation, organizational structure and organizational leadership as determinants of strategy execution. The study was anchored on the Resource-Based View, Institutional Theory and Contingency Theory. A descriptive survey design was adopted. The target population comprised 120 supervisors and technical staff from KITWASCO and KIMWASCO, from which 92 respondents were sampled using stratified random sampling. Structured questionnaires were used to collect primary data. Ninety-two questionnaires were distributed and 89 were returned; four were excluded because of incompleteness or double marking, leaving 85 valid questionnaires for analysis, equivalent to a 92.4% valid response rate. Reliability was high, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.898 to 0.980 and an overall coefficient of 0.989. KMO values ranged from 0.798 to 0.884 and Bartlett’s tests were significant at p < .05, supporting instrument adequacy. Multiple regression produced R = .935, R² = .874 and adjusted R² = .868. The overall model was significant, F(4,80) = 139.333, p < .001. Organizational culture significantly predicted strategy execution (B = .315, β = .333, p = .004), as did organizational leadership (B = .280, β = .281, p = .022). Resource allocation (B = .176, β = .174, p = .155) and organizational structure (B = .176, β = .184, p = .064) were positive but not statistically significant at the 5% level. The study concludes that supportive culture and effective leadership are especially important for translating strategic plans into action, while resource allocation and structure remain enabling conditions requiring continued strengthening.

Keywords

organizational culture; resource allocation; organizational structure; organizational leadership; strategy execution; public water service providers; Kitui County

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