The Impact of a Systems Approach on Strategic Thinking in Complex Organizations: A Comparative Case Study of Two Zimbabwean Local Government Authorities

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.