Abstract
Based on the notions of an integrated approach, this study investigates the roles of people, plan, and process related activities in strategy implantation success in organizational contexts. Data were collected from 307 top- and mid-level managers working in public and private sector organizations in Kazakhstan. The findings revealed a significant influence of people-, plan-, and process-related activities on strategy implementation success and competitive advantages. However, the study found insignificant moderating roles of hierarchy culture and transactional leadership in strategy implementation and competitive advantage relationships. The findings reiterate the importance of an integrated approach in strategy implementation success and provide guidelines to initiate appropriate people, plan and process related activities in future strategic management practices.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data Availability
The datasets of the study could be available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
Al-Hashimi, K., Weerakkody, V., Elbanna, S., & Schwarz, G. (2022). Strategic decision making and implementation in public organizations in the Gulf Cooperation Council: The role of procedural rationality. Public Administration Review, 82(5), 905–919. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13447
Amar, N., & Romdhane, R. (2020). Organizational culture and information systems strategic alignment: Exploring the influence through an empirical study from Tunisia. Journal of Enterprise Information Management, 33(1), 95–119. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEIM-03-2019-0072
Amoo, N., Hiddlestone-Mumford, J., Ruzibuka, J., & Akwei, C. (2019). Conceptualizing and measuring strategy implementation: A multidimensional view. Strategic Change, 28(6), 445–467. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2298
Andrews, R., Boyne, G., Law, J., & Walker, R. (2011). Strategy implementation and public service performance. Administration & Society, 43(6), 643–667. https://doi.org/10.1177/00953997114127
Aydın, G., Nyadera, I., & Önder, M. (2020). Strategic management in Turkey’s public sector: Reforms and application issues. Public Organization Review, 20(4), 719–734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-020-00463-8
Baker, J., & Singh, H. (2019). The roots of misalignment: Insights of strategy implementation from system dynamics perspective. Journal of Strategic Information System, 28(4), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.101576
Bhimavarapu, S., Kim, S., & Xiong, J. (2020). Strategy execution in public sectors: Empirical evidence from Belgium. Journal of Business Strategy, 41(6), 39–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-01-2019-0025
Bolboli, S., & Reiche, M. (2013). A model for sustainable business excellence: Implementation and the roadmap. The TQM Journal, 25(4), 331–346. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542731311314845
Bryson, J. (2010). The future of public and nonprofit strategic planning in the United States. Special issue. Public Administration Review, 70(1), 255–267. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2010.02285.x
Bryson, J., Barbara, C., & Bryson, J. (2009). Understanding strategic planning and the formulation and implementation of strategic plans as a way of knowing: The contributions of actor- network theory. International Public Management Journal, 12(2), 172–207. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967490902873473
Bryson, J., Edwards, L., & Van Slyke, D. (2018). Getting strategic about strategic planning research. Public Management Review, 20(3), 317–339. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2017.1285111
Bryson, J., George, B., & Seo, D. (2022). Understanding goal formation in strategic public management: A proposed theoretical framework. Public Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2022.2103173
Cameron, K., & Quinn, R. (1999). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing values framework. Addison-Wesley.
Candido, C., & Santos, S. (2019). Implementation obstacles and strategy implementation failure. Baltic Journal of Management, 14(1), 39–57. https://doi.org/10.1108/BJM-11-2017-0350
Cândido, C., & Santos, S. (2015). Strategy implementation: What is the failure rate? Journal of Management and Organization, 21(2), 237–262. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2014.77
Clauss, T., Kraus, S., Kallinger, F., Bican, P., Brem, A., & Kailer, N. (2021). Organizational ambidexterity and competitive advantage: The role of strategic agility in the exploration- exploitation paradox. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 6(4), 203–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2020.07.003
Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Lawrence.
Cohen, J. (1977). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Academic Press.
Creswell, J., & Creswell, J. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage Publications.
Crittenden, V., & Crittenden, W. (2008). Building a capable organization: The eight levers of strategy implementation. Business Horizons, 51(4), 301–308.
De Salas, K., & Huxley, C. (2014). Enhancing visualization to communicate and execute strategy: Strategy-to-process maps. Journal of Strategy and Management, 7(2), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-10-2012-0055
Dimitrijevska-Markoski, T., Breen, J., Nukpezah, J., & Mobley, R. (2021). Strategic planning and management in small municipalities in Mississippi - implementation, perceived benefits, and determinants of use. Public Organization Review, 21(2), 437–452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-020-00499-w
Elbanna, S., Katheeri, B., & Colak, M. (2020). The harder firms practice strategic management, the better they are. Strategic Change, 29(5), 561–569. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsc.2365
Elbanna, S., Rhys, A., & Raili, P. (2016). Strategic planning and Implementation success in public service organizations: Evidence from Canada. Public Management Review, 18(7), 1017–1142. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2015.1051576
Elbanna, S., Thanos, I., & Colak, M. (2014). An exploratory study of the determinants of the quality of strategic decision implementation in Turkish industrial firms. Journal of General Management, 40(2), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.1177/030630701404000203
Field, A. (2018). Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics (5th ed.). Sage Publications Inc.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224378101800104
George, B., & Desmidt, S. (2018). Strategic-decision quality in public organizations: An information processing perspective. Administration & Society, 50(1), 131−56. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399716647153
George, B. (2021). Successful strategic plan implementation in public sector organizations: Connecting people, process and plan. Public Administration Review, 81(4), 793–798. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13187
George, B., & Desmidt, S. (2014). A state of research on strategic management in the public sector: An analysis of the empirical evidence. In P. Joyce & A. Drumaux (Eds.), Strategic management in public organizations: European practices and perspectives (pp. 151–172). Routledge.
George, B., Desmidt, S., Cools, E., & Prinzie, A. (2018). Cognitive styles, user acceptance and commitment to strategic plans in public organizations: An empirical analysis. Public Management Review, 20(3), 340–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2017.1285112
George, B., Desmidt, S., & De Moyer, J. (2016). Strategic decision quality in flemish municipalities. Public Money & Management, 36(5), 317–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2016.1194073
George, B., Drumaux, A., Joyce, P., & Longo, F. (2020). Editorial: Strategic planning that works -evidence from the European public sector. Public Money & Management, 40(4), 255–259. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1728055
George, B., Walker, R., & Monster, J. (2019). Does strategic planning improve organizational performance? A meta-analysis. Public Administration Review, 79(6), 810–819. https://doi.org/10.1111/puar.13104
Guo, Y., Huy, Q., & Xiao, Z. (2017). How middle managers manage the political environment to achieve market goals: Insights from China’s state-owned enterprises. Strategic Management Journal, 38(3), 676–696. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2515
Hair, J., Jr., Black, W., Babin, B., & Anderson, R. (2014). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective (7th ed.). Pearson.
Hair, J., Jr., Hult, G., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Sage Publication.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Heracleous, L., & Werres, K. (2016). On the road to disaster: Strategic misalignments and organizational failure. Long Range Planning, 49(4), 491–506. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LRP.2015.08.006
Hickson, D., Miller, S., & Wilson, D. (2003). Planned or prioritized? Two options in managing the implementation of strategic decisions. Journal of Management Studies, 40(7), 1803–1836. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-6486.00401
Jacobsen, D., & Johnsen, A. (2020). Alignment of strategy and structure in local government. Public Money & Management, 40(4), 276–284. https://doi.org/10.1080/09540962.2020.1715093
Jiang, N., & Carpenter, V. (2013). A case study of issues of strategy implementation in internationalization of higher education. International Journal of Educational Management, 27(1), 4–18. https://doi.org/10.1108/09513541311289792
Johannsdottir, L., & McInerney, C. (2018). Developing and using a five C framework for implementing environmental sustainability strategies: A case study of nordic insurers. Journal of Cleaner Production, 183, 1252–1264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.02.007
Johnsen, A. (2021). Does formal strategic planning matter? An analysis of strategic management and perceived usefulness in Norwegian municipalities. International Review of Administrative Sciences, 87(2), 380–398. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020852319867128
Johnsen, A. (2022). Strategic planning in turbulent times: Still useful? Public Policy and Administration. https://doi.org/10.1177/09520767221080668
Kaul, A. (2019). Culture vs strategy: Which to precede, which to align? Journal of Strategy on Management, 12(1), 116–136. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-04-2018-0036
Kayuni, H. (2017). Strategic planning in the Malawi public sector: Potential tool for progress or regression? Public Organization Review, 17(2), 373–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-016-0345-3
Lynch, S., & Mors, M. (2019). Strategy implementation and organizational change: How formal reorganization affects professional networks. Long Range Planning, 52(2), 255–270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2018.02.003
Maditinos, D., Chatzoudes, D., & Sarigiannidis, L. (2014). Factors affecting e-business successful implementation. International Journal of Commerce and Management, 24(4), 300–320. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCoMA-07-2012-0043
Mahmood, M. (2010). Strategy, structure and HRM practices in multinational subsidiaries: European MNCs in a developing country context. Proceedings of the International Business Research Conference.
Mahmood, M. (2015). Strategy, structure and HRM policy orientations: Employee recruitment and selection practices in multinational subsidiaries. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 53(3), 331–350.
Mahmood, M., Uddin, M. A., Ostrovskiy, A., & Orazalin, N. (2020). Effectiveness of business leadership in the eurasian context: Empirical evidence from Kazakhstan. Journal of Management Development, 39(9), 793–809. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMD-05-2019-0154
Manninen, K., & Huiskonen, J. (2022). Factors influencing the implementation of an integrated organizational sustainability and business strategy. Journal of Cleaner Production, 343, 131036. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131036
Mayer, R., & Gavin, M. (2005). Trust in management and performance: Who minds the shop while the employees watch the boss? Academy of Management Journal, 48(5), 874–888. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMJ.2005.18803928
Meier, K., O’Toole, L., Boyne, G., Walker, R., & Andrews, R. (2010). Alignment and results: Testing the interaction effects of strategy, structure, and environment from Miles and Snow. Administration and Society, 42(2), 160–192. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399710362717
Merkus, S., Willems, T., & Veenswijk, M. (2019). Strategy implementation as performative practice: Reshaping organization into alignment with strategy. Organization Management Journal, 16(3), 140–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/15416518.2019.1611403
Miller, C. (2008). Decisional comprehensiveness and firm performance: Toward a more complete understanding. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 21(5), 598–620. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.607
Miller, C., & McKee, R. (2021). Decision comprehensiveness and outcomes of firms: Reinterpreting and extending a recent meta-analysis. Strategic Organization, 19(3), 441–448. https://doi.org/10.1177/1476127020927483
Mistry, S., Kirkman, B., Hitt, M., & Barrick, M. (2022). Take it from the top: How intensity of TMT joint problem solving and levels of interdependence influence quality of strategy implementation coordination and firm performance. Journal of Management Studies. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12838
Mitchell, D. (2018). To monitor or intervene? The dual roles of city managers in the implementation of strategic initiatives. Public Administration, 96(1), 200–217. https://doi.org/10.1111/padm.12381
Mitchell, D. (2019). It all depends, but on what? Testing contingency in public strategic implementation. Public Performance and Management Review, 42(4), 783–807. https://doi.org/10.1080/15309576.2018.1523063
Mitchell, D. (2020). Toward a theory of public strategic implementation. Governance and Management Review, 5(1), 17–37.
Mitchell, D. (2022). Bought in? The contingent effect of stakeholder support upon strategic implementation success in American municipalities. Public Management Review, 24(5), 773–798. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2020.1862289
Mitchell, D., Kanaan, D., Stoeckel, S., & Myser, S. (2021). Retiring the golden hammer: Identifying situational practices for public strategy implementation. Journal of Public and Nonprofit Affairs, 7(3), 343–368. https://doi.org/10.20899/jpna.7.3.343-368
Mwawasi, T., Wanjau, K., & Mkala, M. (2013). Factors affecting implementation of operational strategies in nongovernmental organizations in Kenya. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 1(4), 10–19.
Njagi, A. (2021). Strategy implementation: Does hierarchy culture matter in licensed professional societies in East Africa. European Journal of Management Issues, 29(3), 125–132. https://doi.org/10.15421/192112
Noble, C. (1999). The eclectic roots of strategy implementation research. Journal of Business Research, 45(2), 119–134. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0148-2963(97)00231-2
Nutt, P. (1999). Surprising but true: Half the decisions in organizations fail. Academy of Management Executive, 13(4), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.5465/ame.1999.2570556
Obeidat, B., Al-Hadidi, A., Tarhini, A., & Masadeh, R. (2017). Factors affecting strategy implementation: A case study of pharmaceutical companies in the Middle East. Review of International Business and Strategy, 27(3), 386–408. https://doi.org/10.1108/RIBS-10-2016-0065
Ohemeng, F., & Akonnor, A. (2023). The new public sector reform strategy in Ghana: Creating a new path for a better public service? Public Organization Review, 23(4), 839–855. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-021-00600-x
Okumus, F. (2003). A framework to implement strategies in organizations. Management Decision, 41(9), 871–882. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740310499555
Oliver, A., & Schwella, E. (2018). Closing the strategy execution gap in the public sector. International Journal of Public Leadership, 14(1), 6–32. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPL-04-2016-0010
Poister, T., & Streib, G. (2005). Elements of strategic planning and management in municipal government: Status after two decades. Public Administration Review, 65(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6210.2005.00429.x
Pollanen, R., Abdel-Maksoud, A., Elbanna, S., & Mahama, H. (2017). Relationships between strategic performance measures, strategic decision making, and organizational performance: Empirical evidence from Canadian public organizations. Public Management Review, 19(5), 725–746. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2016.1203013
Roemer, E., Schuberth, F., & Henseler, J. (2021). HTMT2–an improved criterion for assessing discriminant validity in structural equation modeling. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 121(12), 2637–2650. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-02-2021-0082
Rondinelli, D. (1991). Business participation in the public services industry in Southeast Asia: Accelerating the pace of privatization. Journal of Southeast Asia Business, 7(3), 1–13.
Rondinelli, D. (1994). Capacity building in emerging market economies: The second wave of reform. Business & the Contemporary World, 6(3), 153–167.
Rondinelli, D., & Iacono, M. (1996). Strategic management of privatization: A framework for planning and implementation. Public Administration and Development, 16(3), 247–263.
Rowold, J., Borgmann, L., & Bormann, K. (2014). Which leadership constructs are important for predicting job satisfaction, affective commitment, and perceived job performance in profit versus nonprofit organizations? Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 25(2), 147–159. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21116
Saini, S., Nigam, S., & Misra, S. (2013). Identifying success factors for implementation of ERP at Indian SMEs: A comparative study with Indian large organizations and the global trend. Journal of Modeling in Management, 8(1), 103–122. https://doi.org/10.1108/17465661311312003
Samimi, M., Cortes, A., Anderson, M., & Herrmann, P. (2020). What is strategic leadership? Developing a framework for future research. The Leadership Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2019.101353
Schaap, J. (2012). Toward strategy implementation success: An empirical study of the role of senior level leaders in the Nevada gaming industry. UNLV Gaming Research & Review Journal, 10(2), 2–16.
Shah, M., & Nair, C. (2014). Turning the ship around: Rethinking strategy development and implementation in universities. Quality Assurance in Education, 22(2), 145–157.
Silenskyte, A., Kohtamaki, M., & Dhanaraj, C. (2022). Strategy implementation in the transnational MNC: A critical realist investigation of European and Indian unit collaboration. Journal of Business Research, 152, 276–289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.07.041
Sterling, J. (2003). Translating strategy into effective implementation: Dispelling the myths and highlighting what works. Strategy & Leadership, 31(3), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878570310472737
Tawse, A., Patrick, V., & Vera, D. (2019). Crossing the chasm: Leadership nudges to help transition from strategy formulation to strategy implementation. Business Horizons, 62(2), 249–257. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2018.09.005
Tawse, A., & Tabesh, P. (2021). Strategy implementation: A review and an introductory framework. European Management Journal, 39(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2020.09.005
Tomaskovic-Devey, D., Leiter, J., & Thompson, S. (1994). Organizational survey nonresponse. Administrative Science Quarterly, 39(3), 439–457. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393298
Vandersmissen, L., George, B., & Voets, J. (2022). Strategic planning and performance perceptions of managers and citizens: Analyzing multiple mediations. Public Management Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2022.2103172
Vera, D., Bonardi, J. P., Hitt, M. A., & Withers, M. C. (2022). Extending the boundaries of strategic leadership research. The Leadership Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2022.101617
Wei, L., Liu, J., Zhang, Y., & Chiu, R. (2008). The role of organizational culture in the process of strategic human resource management: Evidence from Chinese enterprises. Human Resource Management, 47(4), 777–794. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20244
Weiser, A. K., Jarzabkowski, P., & Laamanen, T. (2020). Completing the adaptive turn: An integrative view of strategy implementation. Academy of Management Annals, 14(2), 969–1031. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2018.0137
Whittle, A., & Carter, C. (2020). Making strategy critical? Part II: Strategy redux – macro perspective. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 73, 102262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpa.2020.102262
Wildavsky, A. (1964). The politics of the budgetary process. Little Brown.
Wildavsky, A. (1973). If planning is everything, maybe it’s nothing. Policy Sciences, 4(2), 127–153. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01405729
Funding
The research have not received any specific funding.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Key Points
• An integrated approach improves strategy implementation practices in organizations.
• Strategy implementation provides higher competitive advantages.
• Transformation leadership moderates strategy implementation-competitive advantage relationships.
• Organizational culture also moderates strategy implementation-competitive advantage relationships.
Summary/Running Head
An integrated approach combining plan, people, and process related activities improves strategy implementation and provides competitive advantages.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Mazhitov, M., Uddin, M.A., Mahmood, M. et al. Competitive Advantages Through Strategy Implementation: the Role of People, Plan, and Process. Public Organiz Rev (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-024-00762-4
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-024-00762-4
Keywords
- Strategy implementation
- Competitive advantages
- 3Ps model
- Organizational culture
- Leadership styles
- Transition economies