Abstract:
Many organizations, in Kenya today have adopted strategic management to assist
them improve their performances. This study aimed at establishing the role of
organizational vertical communication in the implementation of corporate strategy looking at the case of Kenya Airways. Guided by five objectives, the study; examined the communication channels and media used to relay and make corporate strategy understandable to all employees; evaluated how corporate objectives and core values were translated and communicated to the various levels of the organization; determined the role of vertical communication in creating an organizational culture that supports strategy; evaluated the role of vertical communication in creating a spirit of commitment to high performance among employees and finally, analyzed the role of vertical communication in managing resistance to strategic change. This study was based on the Critical theory of Communication Approach to Organizations by Stanley Deetz (1982) This study covered the airline's Head office & Base and the Nairobi station which formed an accessible population of 1060. A sample of 10% of the accessible population was drawn using proportionate sampling and respondents
identified through systematic random sampling. Self administered questionnaires
were used to source the views and opinions of the respondents sampled. Interviews were also conducted to get views and opinions of management staff from the various departments. The data collected was analyzed by descriptive statistics, variability and frequency distribution using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Qualitative data was analyzed by coding and organizing it into themes and concepts. Frequency tables, graphs and charts were used to present the analyzed data. Conclusions and recommendations were made based on the findings of the study. It is hoped that the findings will be useful to Kenyan companies/organizations in the implementation of their corporate strategies.
