INFLUENCE OF STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP ON PERFORMANCE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS IN KENYA
Damaris Gacigi Kabetu - Master of Business Administration, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
Prof. Mike A. Iravo (PhD) - Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya
ABSTRACT
UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11 – to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. In the absence of effective urban planning, the consequences of rapid urbanization was dramatic. In recent years, humanitarian organizations have come under immense pressure from the donors, pledging millions in aid and goods, to prove that they are meeting their objectives in the most efficient and effective way. Leadership challenges faced therefore worsen humanitarian operations creating a lot of uncertainty in UN Habitat. The study was guided by the following objectives; to analyze the effect of staff competence, firm resource capacity, management support, value orientation and social responsibility on performance of UN-Habitat. The theoretical underpinning of the study by specifically reviewed the resource-based view theory, theory of planned behavior, stakeholder theory, institutional theory and credibility theory. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population therefore comprised of 197 top level management, mid-level management and lower level management of UN Habitat. A sample population of 130 was arrived at by calculating the target population of 197 with a 95% confidence level and an error of 0.05. Primary data was obtained using self-administered questionnaires. The questionnaire is made up of both open ended and closed ended questions. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 21.0). Correlation was used to analyze the degree of association between two variables while multiple regression analysis was used to establish the relations between the independent and dependent variables. Presentation of the data was in form of tables, pie charts and graphs. The study found that communicating the strategic direction affects performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya greatly, that adoption of core competencies greatly affects performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya, that that developing human capital affects performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya greatly, that sustaining effective corporate culture affects the performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya to a moderate extent and that organizational flexibility affects the performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya moderately. The study concluded that organizational flexibility had the greatest effect on Performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya in Kenya followed by developing human capital then communicating the strategic direction then sustaining effective corporate culture, then communicating the strategic direction while adoption of core competencies had the least effect on the Performance of UN-Habitat in Kenya in Kenya. The study recommended that that there is need for training and development of employees through on the job training as well as providing them with opportunities to seek higher education, that International Humanitarian Organizations need to adopt an effective monitoring program and that the International Humanitarian Organizations should review their leadership style and embrace strategic leadership. Strategic leadership goes a long way in incorporating everyone in decision making thus establishing coherence in the operations of the institution.
