Strategic Management Practices on the Performance of Non-Government Organizations in Kisii County, Kenya

Running Non-Governmental organizations still has its fair share of challenges. Managerial efficiency is still wanting, its performance is very low with most of them witnessing increased corruption cases. Thus, the purpose of this study was to assess the influence of strategic management practices on the performance of NGOs in Kisii County, Kenya. The target population was 906 respondents comprising 16 Presidents, 16 Treasurers and 804 members of the board. The sample size for the study was 112 respondents comprised of 16 presidents and 16 treasurers who were sampled purposively while 80 board members were sampled randomly, 5 of them per NGO. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the board members whereas interviews were used to collect data from presidents and treasurers. Piloting of research instruments was conducted amongst 10.0% of the sample size of the respondents in the neighbouring Kisii County to establish validity, reliability, credibility, and dependability. Validity was ascertained through expert judgment. The reliability of the instruments was determined using the test-retest technique. The correlation coefficient was obtained using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Method. If a coefficient of r≥0.7 is obtained, then it indicates the high internal reliability of the instruments. Credibility was established by data triangulation through multiple analysts whereas dependability was established through detailed reporting. Data analysis began by identifying common themes from the respondents’ descriptions of their experiences. Frequency counts of the responses were then obtained to generate information about the respondents and to illustrate the general trend of findings on the various variables that were under investigation. Qualitative data was analysed thematically along the objectives and presented in narrative forms whereas quantitative data was analysed descriptively using frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation and inferentially using correlation and linear regression with the help of Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS Version 23). The study had a response rate of 87% which was considered to be very good, and 32 respondents were interviewed. The findings of the study were presented using tables and charts. After the analysis was conducted, it was evident that the majority of the NGOs did not engage in the expected procedures of strategic management, specifically planning, implementation and evaluation. Though there was some level of agreement in understanding the external environment in a firm operated, the majority of the respondents were not aware of how dynamic their work environment can change thus affecting their firm’s objectives. Ensuring that firms conducted an internal analysis to identify their strengths and weaknesses, ensuring firms had crisis management plans, well-defined objectives that would enable the achievement of long-term goals, and practical milestones that could be used to gauge the accomplishment of the set goals were among the significant predictors are detailed in the inferential statistics sections.