Strategic Direction and Organizational Performance in Government-Sponsored Youth Empowerment Organizations in Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: Government-sponsored Youth Empowerment organisations (GSYEOs) are designed to skill, prepare, and empower the youths toward poverty eradication, formal employment, and self-reliance. However, poverty and unemployment among the youths in Kenya seem to be on an onward trajectory, and yet scarce research has been conducted on the influence of strategic direction on the performance of GSYEOs. This study examines the influence of strategic direction and the performance of GSYEOs in Kenya, which is anchored on strategic leadership theory and measured using the Balance Score Card framework. Design/Methodology/Approach: A descriptive research design was utilized and a random sample of five GSYEOs with a total population of 1089 employees was adopted, and a sample of 109 was derived. Correlation analysis results show that strategic leadership and organisational performance were positively and significantly correlated (r=0.661; P-value <0.05). Results from simple linear regression showed that 43.6% was a good fit for the organisational performance (R squared =0.436, R= 0.661). Implications/Originality/Value: The study recommends that GSYEO’s leadership encourage strategic direction implementation through adequate budget allocation.