Change Resistance Management, Strategic Change Management Practices and Service Quality in Counties in Western Kenya

Abstract

Globally, service delivery has remained an issue of utmost concern among public organizations as it anchors key government operations. Statistics indicate that delivery of service in terms of health, sanitation and infrastructure in county governments of Kenya averages 39% countrywide with that of the ten county governments in western Kenya averaging 28%. This is against the Transparency International Kenya requirement of 40%, indicating poor service delivery. Both change resistance management and strategic change management have been shown to improve service delivery. Prior studies focus on change resistance and strategic change management for business organizations. Moreover, the moderating role of change resistance management on the relationship between strategic change management practices and service quality has not been explored in the context of county governments in Kenya. The study sought to investigate the influence of change resistance management on the relationship between strategic change management practices and service quality among county governments in western Kenya. Correlational research design was used, targeting 380 directors and chief officers. Questionnaires were used to collect data. Results showed that change resistance management has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between and change resistance management and service quality (R2Change = .129, p = .003), implying that change resistance management leads to an increase of 12.9% in the original effect of strategic change management practices on service quality. It is concluded that change resistance management practices be embraced among so as to improve service delivery.