The Perceptions of Senior Management with Regard to Strategy Implementation in the Limpopo Provincial Department of South Africa

Strategy implementation has always been a challenge in government departments and this article argues that it should not be perceived as an obstacle, but as a vehicle for realising organisational goals. Strategy implementation in the public sector has not been researched extensively, and organisational culture, organisational structure, resource allocation and the processes of linking strategy formulation with implementation all remain a key challenges. A strategy implementation process in the Limpopo Provincial Department (LPD) was investigated. The purpose of the article was to examine the perceptions of senior managers with regard to strategy implementation in the LPD. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect data and the IBM SPSS statistics (Version 24) were used to interpret and analyse the data that was collected. The findings revealed that incompetence, devoting less time to the core business, and continual engagement in politics by senior managers, often lead to ineffective strategy implementation. This article, therefore, recommends the appointment of competent senior managers who are capable of steering clear of party politics during working hours. This will improve strategy implementation processes in the public sector.