Implementation of strategic management: An investigation of informal

This thesis constitutes a theoretically grounded and empirically rigorous inquiry into the implementation of strategic management within the public sector, framed through the analytical lens of systems theory and operationalised via a comprehensive mixed-methods research design. Anchored in the conceptual foundations of Iceberg Systems Theory, the study advances a nuanced exploration of the often-invisible organisational dynamics that shape institutional behaviour, moving beyond surface-level events to interrogate the deeper patterns, structures, and mental models that underpin strategic outcomes.Situated within the Gweru Local Authority in Zimbabwe as a bounded case study, the research critically examines the interaction between formal strategic management processes and informal organisational structures, positing that the latter exerts a profound, frequently underappreciated influence on policy implementation and operational effectiveness. Through the systematic collection of qualitative data primarily via semi-structured interviews with a diverse cohort of stakeholders, including government officials, administrative staff, and community representatives, the study constructs an empirically rich account of organisational practice within a complex public administration context.The findings reveal a multi-layered institutional reality in which political influence emerges as a pervasive determinant of decision-making, often reshaping or overriding formal strategic intentions. In parallel, the study identifies the conditional effectiveness of change management practices, highlighting their dependency on contextual alignment and organisational readiness. The analysis further underscores the centrality of stakeholder engagement as a critical enabler of successful implementation, while drawing attention to the role of psychological antecedents, including perceptions, beliefs, and informal power relations, in shaping organisational behaviour and performance trajectories.Collectively, these insights foreground the indispensability of recognising and integrating informal dynamics within strategic management frameworks, suggesting that organisational performance cannot be adequately understood or improved through formal systems alone. Rather, it requires a holistic, systems-oriented perspective that acknowledges the interplay between visible structures and underlying social forces.Notwithstanding its contributions, the study acknowledges a methodological limitation in its geographic specificity, which constrains the extent to which its findings can be generalised to broader contexts. Accordingly, it advocates for future research that extends beyond the localised setting to incorporate comparative, cross-contextual analyses, thereby enriching the theoretical and empirical understanding of strategic management in diverse public sector environments.Ultimately, this thesis transcends a purely technical examination of strategy implementation to engage with deeper philosophical questions concerning power, influence, and human behaviour within organisational systems. It invites a rethinking of public sector management not as a linear, procedural exercise, but as a complex, adaptive process shaped by both formal structures and the subtle, often concealed forces of informal organisation.