Senior management's perceptions with regard to strategy implementation in the Limpopo Department of Health

Abstract

Strategy implementation has always been a challenge in government departments. However, this study argues that strategy implementation should not be perceived as an obstacle in an organisation, but as a vehicle for realising organisational goals. Strategy implementation in the public sector has experienced a limited research, whereas, organisational cultures, organisational structures, resource allocation and processes of linking the strategy formulation and implementation all remain a key challenge. Therefore, a strategy implementation process in the Limpopo Department of Health (LDoH) was investigated. The purpose of the study was to probe the perceptions of senior managers concerning the implementation of the strategy in the Limpopo Department of Health. A qualitative research approach was used to collect data. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaires. The overall target population was 120 employees of the Limpopo Department of Health. The sample consisted of 30 respondents (N=30). The IBM SPSS statistics (Version 24) were used to interpret and analyse the data that was collected. Further, this study espoused non-probability purposive sampling and consequently research findings cannot be generalised to the government departments. The findings showed that respondents are aware of the factors influencing strategy implementation in the LDoH. The preliminary findings revealed that incompetence, devoting less time to the core business, and continual engagement in politics by senior managers have often lead to ineffective strategy implementation. This study therefore recommends that the appointment of competent senior management who are capable of staying away from party politics during working hours should be considered, so as to improve strategy implementation processes in the Limpopo Department of Health. The study recommended the enforcement of team-work and appropriate reward systems to ensure that the members engage enthusiastically. This study also recommended the regular communication between senior management and employees of the Limpopo Department of Health. This implies the employment of effective communication strategies and channels to accelerate the strategy implementation process, in order to achieve the long-term goals of the organisation and remain sustainable in the provision of service delivery to the citizens of Limpopo v | P a g e Province. The senior management’s ability to identify the internal capabilities (organisational structure, supportive culture, reward systems, alignment and appropriate leadership style) should be fundamental in overcoming the challenges arising from inside and outside the organisation. Finally, senior management should apply relevant tools and techniques to measure organisational performance within the Department. This involves gaining knowledge in terms of assessing and evaluating performance using the four perspectives of balanced scorecard which include financial, customer, internal business processes and learning and growth.