Explaining the Underperformance of Formal Business Strategies in Botswana: A Contextual Analysis of Strategy Design and Execution

Strategy execution remains one of the most significant challenges facing organizations, particularly in emerging economies where institutional and contextual conditions constrain implementation. This study examines the influence of strategy design, organizational, institutional, and socio-cultural factors on strategy execution performance in Botswana. Grounded in Institutional Theory, the study adopts a positivist research paradigm and employs a quantitative research design. Data was collected from 300 managers and executives drawn from public and private sector organizations using a structured questionnaire. The data are analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analysis in SPSS. The findings reveal that all four factors positively and significantly influence strategy execution performance. Organizational factors emerge as the strongest predictor, followed by institutional factors, strategy design, and socio-cultural factors, indicating that successful implementation depends not only on well-formulated strategies but also on organizational capability, supportive institutional conditions, and alignment with Botswana's socio-cultural context. The study concludes that strengthening leadership, communication, resource allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and organizational coordination is essential for improving strategy execution. The findings contribute to the strategic management literature by extending Institutional Theory within an emerging economy context and provide practical insights for managers and policymakers seeking to enhance organizational performance and sustainable development in Botswana.