NJALA UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND

COMPUTER SCIENCE

MSc TELECOMMUNICATION
SYSTEM

RESEARCH METHODS

THIRD SEMESTER TERM PAPER

MARIAM JANNEH
11921

LECTURER IN CHARGE
DR. HAMZA
 Processes and Impacts of Strategic Management (2013)

By: Said Elbanna

Reviewed By: Mariam Janneh

Abstract
In this article, the author investigates the processes as well as impacts of the strategic
management in the United Arab Emirates public sector. In particular, the article surveys how
public organizations in United Arab Emirates formulate, implement, and assess their strategic
plans. According to the author, the fluctuating effectiveness and popularity has affected
strategic management negatively in its numerous semblances. It was very popular from mid-
1960s to mid-1970s but suffered a popularity and effectiveness downturn during late 1970s
and early 1980s, but as for now in the 21 st Century it has been a matter of must for most
organizations and MDAs.

Overview
This study was carried out in order to presents the first substantial exploration of the process
and impacts of strategic management in the public sector of the UAE. It was design to survey
the way in which public organizations formulate, implement, and evaluate their strategic
plans, and to identify which particular strategic management elements are most closely
related to their perceived impact.

In this article, the author employs both the qualitative and quantitative methodologies in
investigating the strategic management processes and impacts in UAE public sector. His
study sample consists of 136 federal and local organizations in UAE. From the study, the
author found that all 136 organizations had printed strategic plans, suggesting a broadly
spread use of the strategic management in the public sector of UAE. The study also
established that, from 2007, the UAE government has been encouraging both the federal and
local organizations to employ the strategic management process.

In terms of strategic planning unit organizational level, this study found that 98% of the
sampled organizations had organizational units accountable for the activities of strategic
planning. The participants also showed positive attitudes towards strategic planning
importance. The author mentions that the strategic plan implementation measures how far the
implementing processes of the strategic plan address all the main activities, which managers

1
require to put a strategic plan into action. According to Elbanna, strategic plan evaluation
entails the actions and activities that organizations require to evaluate the strategic plan.

Strategic management is a comparatively new in the public sector, especially in this part of
the world (Africa) and Sierra Leone to be specific. It essentially represents a key change in
public sector organizations management. The present surge for the strategic management in
public organizations is related to various events, which too triggered far-reaching reforms in
the public sector. In fact, there appears to be a strong linking between the economic crisis of
1980s and the improved emphasis in the use of strategic management in the public sector
organizations in the 21st Century. The implications of strategic management on public
organizations cannot be underestimated.

For one, public organizations are likely to embrace strategic management during financial
austerity periods to help the agency managers contain the budget as well as maintain the
funding for the highest priority areas in the agency. Because funding constraints and
uncertainties are endemic to the public services, we expect public organizations to make their
organizational goals, outcomes, and outputs much more transparent in the strategies to secure
the continuing subsidy from the government bodies.

Conclusion
To crown it all, strategic management enhances the external control of the way public
organizations use the inadequate public assets. In my latest observations and interactions with
a number of managers in some of our renowned organizations and MDAs, I discovered that
strategic planning and management is now a necessary activity for this organizations and
MDAs, since the treasury always has the problem releasing the yearly budgets to the public
organizations, which lack strategic planning. The implication of this is that strategic planning
is externally enforced to the organizations from the relevant authorities, as Elbanna claims in
the article. There is an indication that, with the strategic planning and management, the public
organizations might be able to attract subsidy from various bases. When government funding
is insufficient or not forthcoming, the public organizations can present their strategic
management documents as their strategy or vision that potential funding agencies can
purchase into in terms of money and commitment.

2
References

1. “Elbanna, S. 2013. Processes and impacts of strategic management: Evidence from

the public sector in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Public
Administration, 36(6): 1-14.”