STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION PERFORMANCE IN WATER AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS COMPANIES IN KENYA

Abstract

Despite global and national recognition of the critical role strategic leadership plays in organizational performance, a lack of strategic leadership in water and energy solutions companies in Kenya hinders their potential. This is often overlooked by management, particularly in the face of high employee turnover. The objectives were to establish the effects of succession planning, and strategic direction on the performance of Davis & Shirtliff Ltd (D&S). The study is anchored in strategic management theory, drawing upon institutional theory and resource-based view. With 1500 people as the target population, a descriptive study design was used. A stratified random sample of 150 participants was selected. Data was gathered through surveys, Both Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and fundamental statistics were used to analyze the quantitative data. Tables were used to present the data. To demonstrate the relationships between the variables, inferential statistics were employed. Throughout the study time, the research investigation was guided by ethical criteria. The study established a high correlation between organizational performance at D&S and strategic leadership practices and It was discovered that organizational performance was significantly impacted by strategic direction it can be concluded that enhancing succession planning could lead to improved organizational performance while suggesting that organizations with strong strategic direction are likely to experience increased performance. It recommended that to retain and attract new talent and capabilities that will enhance the organization's performance, D&S management should implement a structured succession planning framework. This will address the current gap in establishing a framework for future critical personnel replacements. Additionally, training employees who lack the necessary qualifications and opportunities for job advancement is crucial. It is also recommended that top positions be advertised internally before external recruitment.