Understanding the Effect of Organizational Change on Firm Performance: A Case of Unga Farm Care Limited in Kenya

Abstract

In Kenya, Unga Farm Care Limited has been instrumental in shaping the livestock rearing sector, contributing significantly to the development of industry standards. The company operates in a highly competitive environment characterized by increased demand for affordable, high-quality, and accessible animal feeds, further intensified by cheaper imports from neighboring East African countries and global markets such as Europe and Asia. However, the firm has not sufficiently embraced organizational change strategies that are critical to maintaining competitiveness and enhancing performance. This gap has hindered its ability to optimize productivity, revenue growth, market expansion, and product quality. Addressing this challenge through effective change management is essential in enhancing performance and sustaining its leadership in the industry. This investigation thus aimed to examine the impact of organizational change on the performance of Unga Farm Care. Particularly, the research aimed to examine the effect of organizational culture, leadership style, technological advancement, employee attitude, and market conditions on the performance of Unga Farm Care. The research was grounded on the dynamic, resource-based, Kotter’s 8-step model and the theory of organizational change. The study adopted a descriptive methodology. Target populace of 283 was used and a sample size of 165 staff was obtained utilizing stratified and random sampling techniques. A semi-structured questionnaire was utilized to gather data and content validity was utilized by the researcher to assess the instrument's accuracy. A pilot study was conducted and 8 respondents making up 5% of the sample size was used to verify reliability and suitability of the study’s instrument. This study assessed the outcomes of the reliability coefficient using Cronbach's alpha of 0.7. The research found that organizational leadership style positively and significantly affects the performance of Unga Farm Care Limited. The study also found that organizational culture has a positive and significant effect on performance of Unga Farm Care Limited. Further, the research discovered that technological advancement has a positive and significant effect on performance of Unga Farm Care Limited. Moreover, the study discovered that employee attitude has a positive and substantial effect on performance of Unga Farm Care Limited Farm Care Limited. The study recommended that the firm strengthens its organizational leadership style by cultivating deeper empathy and improving responsiveness to employee needs. In addition, the study recommends that the firm continues to build a positive organizational culture by investing in employee empowerment initiatives. Further, the study recommends that Unga Farm Care Limited sustains and advances its technological capabilities by investing in system automation, ensuring regular updates and robust IT security.