This document discusses factors affecting strategy implementation in Iraqi public sector organizations. It defines key terms like strategic management, strategy implementation, and the Iraqi public sector. The problem statement notes the need for strategic management in the public sector due to changes in management and a lack of implementation practices. The objectives are to identify factors influencing implementation and understand the process. Research questions focus on facilitators and impediments to implementation. The significance is providing knowledge to support implementation in developing country public sectors. The document reviews frameworks identifying factors such as organizational structure and culture, leadership, resources, and communication that influence successful strategy implementation.

1. Factors Affecting Strategy Implementation in the
Iraqi Public Sector Organizations
Abdulsattar Mawlood
Ph.D Candidate
Faculty of Economics and Business
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS)

2. Keywords
• Strategic Management
• Strategy Implementation
• Public Management
• Iraqi Public Sector
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3. Definitions
Strategic management
Strategic management is the set of managerial decisions and actions that
determines the long-run performance of an organization. It includes
environmental scanning (both external and internal), strategy formulation
(strategic planning), strategy implementation, and evaluation and control
(Hunger et al 2011)
Strategy Implementation
Strategy implementation is an iterative process of implementing
strategies, policies, programs and action plans that allows a firm to utilize
its resources to take advantage of opportunities in the competitive
environment (Harrington, 2006).
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4. Definitions (cont’d)
Iraqi Public Sector
Since 2003, the Government and people of Iraq have embarked on challenging
transition from:
1. a unitary state to a developing parliamentary republic system
2. a centralized mixed economy to one where the private sector is increasingly the
engine of growth and provider of employment.
challenges:
Most public offices still follow outdated structures and systems, while others lack a
coherent architecture and standard operating procedures, without sufficient
automation of processes to ensure efficiency (UNDP, 2012).
Public Sector in Iraq has realized that the acquisition of strategic planning is the right
road to success and recognized that strategic management is necessary in order to
maintain responsiveness to the rapidly changing environment(MOP, 2009)
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5. Problem Statement
Problem Statement
• Change in the management of public sector
• Complexity of strategy implementation
• Lack of Strategic Management practice in the Iraqi public sector
• Scarcities in the research of strategy implementation
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6. Research Objectives
1. To establish various factors that influence
strategy implementation and explore the best
approaches that could be adopted to facilitate
effective implementation of strategy in the
public sector organizations in developing
countries.
2. To present new insights and understandings for
strategy implementation in the public sector
organizations.
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7. Research Questions
1. What are the factors that facilitate and
impede effective strategy implementation in
the public sector organizations?
2. How do factors such as leadership traits,
organizational culture, organizational
structure, change management, and
strategy formulation have impact on
strategy implementation in the public sector
organizations?
3. What is the extent of understanding “the
process of strategic management
implementation” among the Iraqi public
sector organizations?
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8. Significance of the Study
1. Identify the concept and framework of strategy
implementation, taking into account the nature of
work and environment of public sector
organizations in developing countries.
2. Provide useful knowledge on factors that might
have impact to the implementation of strategy in
public sector organizations.
3. Support and enrich theory and model of strategy
implementation in public sector organizations in
developing countries that have similarities in their
nature of service with Iraqi public sector.
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9. Strategy Implementation Frameworks
Authors Factors affecting strategy implementation
Hambrick and
resource commitments, subunit policies and programs, structure, rewards, and people
Cannella (1989)
organizational structure, organizational culture, uncertainty, operational planning,
Pettigrew 1992
resources, people, communication, control and feedback, and strategic outcome
Kargar and
organizational structures, organizational culture, compensation, resource allocation,
Blumenthal
and information systems
(1994)
tasks, people, structure, decision processes, culture, information systems, control
Hussey (1996)
systems, and reward systems
organization structure, control and information systems, reward systems, selection and
Pennings (1996)
socialization, power and politics and organization culture
Noble’s (1999) goals, organizational structure, leadership, communications, and incentives
organizational structure, organizational culture, organizational learning, uncertainty,
Okumus (2001) operational planning, resources allocation, people, communication, monitoring and
feedback, external partners, and outcome
strategy, structure, resources, shared values, style, staff, systems and processes, and
Higgins (2005)
strategic performance
change management, organizational culture, organizational power structure, and
Hrebiniak (2006)
leadership
Brenes et al strategy formulation, systematic execution, control and follow-up, leadership, and
(2007) corporate governance

10. Factors affecting strategy implementation
• Strategic performance
• Organizational structure • Style
• Organizational culture • Systems and processes
• Resource allocation • Tasks
• Reward systems • Uncertainty
• People • Outcome
• Control systems • External partners
• Communications Strategy • Goals
• Information systems Implementation • Organizational learning
• Leadership • Corporate governance
• Strategy formulation • Power and politics
• Operational planning • Subunit policies and
• Decision processes programs
• Shared values • Selection and
• Change management socialization
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11. Thank you