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Title
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The Impact of a Systems Approach on Strategic Thinking in
Complex Organizations: A Comparative Case Study of Two
Zimbabwean Local Government Authorities
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Creator
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Tonderai Fundira
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Edson Chagwedera
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Krammer Chatiza
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Chomunogwa Pande
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Abstract
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This article focuses on two local government authorities, which, as social organizations, are complex, ambiguous,
and paradoxical. The theoretical foundation of this article finds its roots in organizational complexity; strategic
management characterized by strategy implementation; and sense-making, especially in the context of complex
adaptive systems. Managers frequently neglect elements of complexity when they develop models and implement
management practices. The purpose of this article is to analyse the implementation of strategies in complex public
organizations by focusing on two of the largest Zimbabwean local government authorities, namely Chinhoyi and
Gweru, in a comparative, qualitative case study. Data were gathered in three main ways: interviews, non-participant
observation, and vast quantities of government local authorities’ documents. Two important aspects of the strategic
approach are discussed: first, the implementation of strategies, and second, the influence of complexity, ambiguity,
unpredictability, and uncertainty in the way strategies are implemented by local government authorities. The analysis
indicates that the implementation of strategies in local authorities has to do with the practices and processes that are
adopted (how) and the practitioners (strategists) involved (who). The findings reinforce the importance of the
strategizing process in the implementation of strategies. The findings also highlight that strategic practices are adopted
in parallel with the formal strategic planning processes and are characterized by lack of strategic thinking formality.
Keywords: local government authorities, municipal corporate governance, strategic management, implementation of
Tonderai Fundira, Ph.D., lecturer, Graduate School of Business (GSB), Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE),
Bindura, Zimbabwe. Email: tfundira@buse.ac.zw or drfundiraf@gmail.com.
Edson Chagwedera, lecturer, Department of Economics, Faculty of Business, Economics and Accounting (BEA), Zimbabwe
Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU), Bindura, Zimbabwe. Email: echagwedera@zegu.ac.zw or echagwedera8@gmail.com.
Krammer Chatiza, lecturer, Department of Human Resources Management, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Manicaland State
University of Applied Sciences, Mutare, Zimbabwe. Email: krammerchatiza@gmail.com.
Chomunogwa Pande, lecturer, Department of Purchasing and Supply Chain Logistics, Faculty of Business, Economics and
Accounting (BEA), Zimbabwe Ezekiel Guti University (ZEGU), Bindura, Zimbabwe. Email: cpande@zegu.ac.zw or
chomuzvondiwa@gmail.com.
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Date
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2023
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Source
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Journal of US-China Public Administration
