| Summary: | Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research was to investigate the challenges to effective strategy implementation at the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). Strategic planning is argued to have overshadowed the area of actual strategic implementation. Organisations put a lot of effort into drafting good plans, but do not put equal effort into their realisation. It was assumed that there is a big gap between strategic planning and implementation. This is what drove the researcher to go into the field and explore the situation at the ZMDC in greater depth in a bid to bridge the gap through research on the subject matter.
Literature on strategy and strategy implementation was analysed critically. The research was guided by the post-positivism research philosophy. This research paradigm enabled the use of qualitative methods, which facilitated the interaction with respondents. The case study research design was adopted, as the research sought to discover the impediments to strategy implementation and the best way forward in turning the strategies on paper into action.
The major findings were that there indeed were loopholes in strategy implementation at the ZMDC. The challenges to the strategy implementation process at the ZMDC were noted to be poor delegation, lack of training and development, poor ethical values, limited resources, low motivation of employees, poor communication and coordination, lack of control and poor teamwork. The organisation was noted to have deficient communication processes, which contributed to the challenges facing strategy implementation. The findings brought to light the fact that strategic planning starts with the executive management, hence the need for their commitment to owning the entire process of strategic planning and execution. The study revealed limited involvement of staff in the initial stages of developing strategy. In order to enhance the implementation of strategies, it was recommended that motivational leadership at the ZMDC had to be ensured. Leadership, ownership and drive are required to compete effectively and to deliver growth. Management should adopt the „Strategy into Action‟ planning approach, charting a course through performance factors, linking strategic thrusts to projects, as well as departmental and individual activity, with the ultimate goal being to enable the ZMDC to effectively translate strategic goals into results in a clear and inclusive process. To turn strategic desires into action that drives results, the ZMDC leaders need to develop strategic thrusts and broad-based action plans, putting the vision to light, and picturing to everyone what would be viewed as strategic success and what it takes to achieve and measure the desired outcomes. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om ondersoek in te stel na die uitdagings vir doeltreffende strategie-implementering by die Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC). Daar word aangevoer dat strategiese beplanning wesenlike strategiese implementering oorskadu. Organisasies werk hard aan die opstel van goeie planne, maar werk nie ewe hard aan die verwesenliking daarvan nie. Die aanname is gemaak dat daar ʼn groot gaping tussen strategiese beplanning en implementering is. Dit het die navorser aangemoedig om die situasie by ZMDC prakties en op diepgaande wyse te ondersoek ten einde hierdie gaping deur navorsing oor die onderwerp te oorbrug.
Die literatuur oor strategie en strategie-implementering is krities ontleed. Die navorsing is gerig deur ʼn post-positivisme-navorsingsfilosofie. Hierdie navorsingsparadigma het die gebruik van kwalitatiewe metodes moontlik gemaak, wat interaksie met die respondente in die hand gewerk het. ʼn Gevallestudie-navorsingsontwerp is gebruik, aangesien die doel van die navorsing was om die struikelblokke tot strategie-implementering en die beste pad vorentoe om strategie op papier in aksie oor te skakel, te bepaal.
Die vernaamste bevindings was dat daar wel skuiwergate in strategie-implementering by ZMDC is. Die uitdagings rakende die strategie-implementeringsproses by ZMDC is geïdentifiseer as swak delegering, gebrek aan opleiding en ontwikkeling, swak etiese waardes, beperkte hulpbronne, lae motivering van werknemers, swak kommunikasie en koördinering, gebrek aan beheer en swak spanwerk. Daar is gemerk dat die organisasie gebrekkige kommunikasieprosesse het, wat tot die uitdagings vir strategie-implementering bydra. Die bevindings het aan die lig gebring dat strategiese beplanning by die uitvoerende bestuur begin, en dus is hul toewyding tot eienaarskap van die algehele strategiese beplannings- en uitvoeringsproses noodsaaklik. Die studie het beperkte betrokkenheid van personeel by die aanvanklike fases van strategie-ontwikkeling getoon. Ten einde die implementering van strategieë te bevorder, is die aanbeveling om motiveringsleierskap by ZMDC te verseker. Leierskap, eienaarskap en dryfkrag is nodig om doeltreffend mee te ding en te groei. Die bestuur moet die beplanningsbenadering van „Strategie in Aksie‟ aanneem, wat die weg deur prestasiefaktore aantoon en strategiese dryfkragte aan projekte asook aan departementele en individuele aktiwiteit koppel. Die uiteindelike doelwit is om ZMDC in staat te stel om strategiese doelwitte doeltreffend in ʼn duidelike en insluitende proses in resultate om te skakel. Ten einde strategiese strewes in aksie wat resultate lewer om te skakel, moet ZMDC se leiers strategiese dryfkragte en breedgebaseerde aksieplanne ontwikkel, waardeur die visie duidelik gemaak word en almal duidelikheid het oor wat as strategiese sukses beskou word en wat dit verg om die gewenste uitkomste te bereik en te meet.
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