The moderating influence of legal and regulatory framework on the relationship between organizational structure and strategy implementation by devolved governments in Kenya

Abstract

The legal and regulatory framework that established devolved units prescribed an organisational structure that supported the implementation of strategic plans. Despite the huge resources committed to the devolved governments, many complained of carrying huge wage bills, suffered from inappropriate organisational structures, lacked harmonised job groups, and lacked adequate technical staff in critical fields. A study on the moderating influence of the legal and regulatory framework on the relationship between organisational structure and the implementation of strategic plans by devolved government in Kenya is grossly missing. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap. The study is anchored on Higgins’ Eight ‘S’ model of strategy implementation, structural contingency theory, and institutional theory. The study employed a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design. The target population was the 47 devolved governments in Kenya, represented by the five devolved units in the Nairobi Metropolitan Area, comprising Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Machakos, and Kajiado. A stratified random sampling technique was applied to Yamane's formula to select 217 respondents from 474 senior county officers in the five counties. Data was collected using a semi-structured, self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis and inferential statistics were produced using SPSS and presented in figures and tables. A content analysis approach that analyses textual data for patterns and common themes was applied to the qualitative data and, hence, converted to quantitative results presented in table format. The study findings revealed that the legal and regulatory framework had no significant influence on the relationship between organisational structure and the implementation of strategic plans by the devolved governments in Kenya. The study recommends that devolved governments be granted some level of autonomy in designing organisational structures that align with strategy implementation. However, future researchers should enrich the debate by investigating the role of public participation, political interference, gaps in the legal and regulatory framework. County leaders should focus on strengthening the coordination between the county and national government to avoid conflicts. Keywords: Legal and regulatory framework, organisational structure, strategy implementation, devolution