Human factors impeding strategy
Date
2011-05-31
Authors
Naidoo, Colin
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Abstract
In the current global economy successful implementation of a formulated
strategy is essential to gain competitive advantage. Success in business is
manifested more in the ability to implement ideas and strategies rapidly and
effectively than in planning itself. Previous studies have identified that for all
the energy and resources invested in the pursuit of the perfect strategy, little
effort is directed towards implementation. As a result most strategies stumble
in the implementation phase, regardless of merit. Due to the importance of
effective strategy implementation, this research attempted to identify the
human impediments to strategy implementation. It was proposed that
identification of the inhibitors would result in proactive management of these
human factors and ultimately result in the successful implementation of a
formulated strategy. This research reports a case study which focuses on a
private hospital group: Life Healthcare.
The first objective of this research was to identify the human impediments to
successful strategy implementation in Life Healthcare by using the Delphi
technique. The second objective was to compare the findings of this research
with previously conducted research. The third objective was to rank the
impediments identified in the study, in order of importance.
Data was gathered from the management in two rounds of the study. The first
round entailed the use of a single open-ended questionnaire. The feedback
from round 1 was used to construct a structured questionnaire, which was
Likert based. This structured questionnaire was utilized in the second round of
the study.
Six notional categories of impeding factors were identified; strategy-,
management-, employee, implementation models, approach and strategic
control-, organisational- and knowledge and information sharing factors. The
research findings confirmed the existence of the aforementioned impediment
factors in Life Healthcare, as well as supported the notional categories
identified in the literature.
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These findings were interpreted and discussed in the context of existing
literature and a number of implications have been drawn. Employee factors,
management factors, strategy factors and knowledge and information sharing
factors were emphasized throughout the analysis of the findings. Conclusions
and recommendations were drawn for Life Healthcare in light of these results.
Description
MBA - WBS
Keywords
Strategic planning, Hospitals, Public health