CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.0    BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The performance of organization is the focus of intensive research efforts; how well an organization performs its mission and accomplishes is its goals of programs delivery is to paramount concern.
The success of failure of a strategy is significantly determined by the quality of leadership displayed by the strategy leader normally the CEO, during the strategy implementation process.
In today's increasingly chaotic world and an ever changing environment, it is not enough to just keep the organization afloat it is far more essential to make steady progress toward some well- defined objectives.
Modem knowledge based organization are ideal setting for the application of strategic management practices strategy, in effect it's management's game plans for strengthening the organization's position, pleasing customers and achieving performance targets. Managers devise strategies to guide how the organizations business win be conducted and to help the make reasoned and make cohesive choices among alternative causes of action. The strategic managers decides and indicates e path and action the y could choose, they decide to tallow particular rate d conduct their business in that particular manner without a strategy, a manage has no roadmap to follow, to manage and no unified action programme to produce the intended results.
Strategic management is defined by thompson and Strickland (2001) as “the process whereby managers establish an organization's ng-term direction, set specific performance objectives, develop strategies to achieve these objectives in the light of all the relevant internal and external circumstances and undertake to execute the choose action plan”.
Strategic management has five critical and interrelated managerial tasks explained thus.
·         Deciding (what business organization will engage in) and forming a            strategic vision of an organization wants to go) and human resources development of    those who are to get it there). It in effect enhances productivity, providing long-term direction and establishing a clear mission to be accomplished.
·        Crafting a strategy to achieve e desired results.
·        Implementing and executing the chosen strategy efficiently and effectively.
·        Evaluating performance, reviewing developments and initiating corrective adjustments in10 g-term directions, objectives, strategy or implementation in light of actual experience, changing condition new ideas and opportunities.
·        It involves a rational analysis and planning which provides the "road map" for fulfilling that future.
Furthermore, the task of evaluation organization performance would entails a   greater degree use of strategic management practice and to initiate any corrective adjustment lies both the end and the beginning of strategy  management cycle.
In addition, strategic management practices are hypothesized, and have an impact in the organizational process and enhances coordination of work for a well-designed productivity, therefore strategy managers must stay close enough to the situation to detect when changing conditions requires a strategic response and when they don’t. It is their job to sense the winds of change, recognize significant changes and initiate adjustments.
1.1    STATENMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
Those engaged in strategic management practices need to be aware of certain often,organization’s external environment poses. externally imposed threats may stem from cheaper technologies, the advent of new substitute products, adverse economic trends restrictive government action, changing consumer va1ves and lifestyles, projection of natural resources depletion, unfavorable demographic shifts, n w sources of strong competition and the likes; such threat can be a major factor in shaping organizational strategy.
As it occurs with all management techniques, individual will need extensive training and refresher training to answer unforeseen questions that arise in response to implementation, conflict, confusion and chaos will prevail initially and for sometimes therefore, only individual learn how to do it and see its valve will the benefit of strategic management be realized.
In an empirical study noting e impact of strategic management on organizational performance, the m [or problems that are associated with bad performance and lack of strategic management can be highlighted below.
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