Influence of Change Management on Performance of Airlines in Kenya

Abstract

Change is becoming an ever-present feature of organisational life. However, many change programmes do not achieve their intended outcomes. This study was done to assess the influence of safety management systems (SMS), leadership styles, organisational culture, and regulatory framework on the performance of airlines in Kenya. This study sought to fill this gap. The objective of the study was to determine how change management influences performance of airlines in Kenya. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional research design. The population of this study was forty-three airlines in Kenya. Stratified random sampling method was used to draw samples of the cases used for the study. The study used primary data collected using semi-structured questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered to the respondents through the drop and pick methods as well as through emails where meetings were constrained by the Corona virus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Descriptive statistics such as mean and frequency distribution were used to analyse the data. Due to considerable policy and structural changes that have taken place in the Kenyan aviation industry over the period 2009-2019, this study provided an empirical analysis of the impact of these policies on the overall performance of airlines in Kenya. More specifically, the impact of the various components affecting airlines organisational performance were analysed. This study will be relevant to policymakers because it will enable them to identify to what extent the safety management systems, leadership styles, organisational culture, and regulatory framework influence the performance of airlines. In turn, they will be able to effectively plan both short and long-term performance objectives for the development of airlines in the country. The study was limited to the airline industry in Kenya and, therefore, further research is recommended incorporating regional and international airlines as well as being conducted in other sectors of the economy. This study relied on primary data and, therefore, was limited to the responses received through the questionnaires. It only covered airlines in Kenya.