Strategy Implementation: Insights from the Kuwaiti Public Sector

Abstract

The strategy process is very important for any type of organization, be it private or public.
Furthermore, the strategy process makes organizations competitive and even sustainable if managed
effectively. Within this process, it has always been argued that the implementation of strategies is
considered somewhat difficult when planning these strategies. Most research on strategy implementation
have provided extensive results regarding the factors that can hinder strategy implementation from a
quantitative perspective. In this study, we shed light on the top management perspective by gaining an indepth
understanding of why such factors cannot be overcome and what results in the planned strategy not
being implemented from their daily work experience. We gathered data from a single case study that
included 15 interviews with the top management team in one public sector organization in Kuwait. Our
findings revealed that although some hinderances to the strategy implementation are already known to
decision makers, in practice resolving and overcoming these factors requires considerable effort sue to the
need to align similar mindsets and teamwork spirit. Our exploration represents a vital contribution to a
description of the obstacles to strategy implementation from a qualitative perspective. Furthermore, the
study provides some suggestions and recommendations by which decision makers might better achieve
strategy implementation.

Keywords: strategy, strategy implementation, strategy implementation process, top managers, Kuwait