Management Practices And Implementation Of Strategic Plans In Vocational Training Centers In Kiambu County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

In this era of dramatic change, global alliances, and a variety of environmental pressures, the potential for failure is very real in the implementation of strategic plans. Provision of vocational education has been gradually registering the low number of students’ enrolments because it has been facing various problems. Many countries have been crying foul over the challenges facing the education sector, including lack of learning resources and maximum utilization of the available resources. Most of these problems have been worsening over time since the introduction of cost-sharing between National and County governments. Additionally, Kenya’s education system has put emphasis on the formal academic education, which has been the main setback for Technical, Industrial, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TIVET) sector. The current study sought to examine the influence of management practices on the implementation of strategic plans. The study examined the individual influence of strategic planning, employee empowerment, leadership and communication. The study was grounded on the resource-based view theory, the contingency theory, strategic fit theory and the dynamic capabilities theory. The study employed a descriptive design. The proposed research study was carried out in Kiambu County with a target population of 296 respondents across the 37 vocational training centres. Stratified random sampling was employed to get the sample size since the population was heterogeneous, where the respondent category was considered as a stratum. The sample respondents for the study was 92 respondents. Primary data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires which the researcher administered. All analysis was done using SPSS and Microsoft excel. Descriptive statistics were aimed at identifying the pattern of the data and consistency of the responses in each of the hypothesized factors influencing the indicators. Inferential analysis was conducted using regression models and regression coefficients. The significance of the research model was tested using ANOVA test. Results were then be presented using the graph, tables and charts. The study findings indicated that the research was able to obtain a 97% response rate. The findings of the regression analysis indicated that there is a positive association between management practices and implementation of strategic plans, as indicated by R2=.480. The research concluded that there is a positive and significant effect of management practices on the implementation of strategic plans. The study recommends that management should foster their planning practices. The study further recommends the institution should strengthen the competence of its employees and establish more effective communication systems