Local NGO Executive’s Gender, Experience and Academic Qualification as a Predictor of Strategy Performance - Evidence from Uganda

Whereas local non-governmental originations (LNGO) have been widely appraised as the third largest employment sector in most developing countries, there is a common concurrence among scholars that their strategic success depends on leadership traits. As the localization among LNGO programing gains pace, recent policy debates on gender, equity, diversity and inclusion rekindles the need for empirical studies on the un attendant strategy influence of gender, education and experience of leaders whose performance outcomes in leadership remain unknown. Specifically, this study examined the influence of gender, experience and academic qualifications of local NGO executives on strategy performance. The study was informed by performance theory of management which laid emphasis on how human actions convey meaning in an organization. The study conceptualized the variables of sociodemographic gender, experience and qualifications as the independent variables and fund stability, strategy timeliness, and community satisfaction as dependent variables. A total of 349 LNGO staff were interviewed from the 14 sister branch networks of LNGOs operating in Uganda. The study determined that whereas the variable of gender was less influential, experience and qualifications were significantly influencing the performance of local NGO strategy in Uganda. Considering the current political discourse, this study concludes that gender of a leader is not a critical parameter for better strategy performance. The study therefore contributes to strategic human resource planning with a focus on experience and qualifications when selecting staff. To ensure equity in employment of local NGO leaders, this study recommends continuous local NGO network executive mentorship programs.