Determinants and Predictive Effects of Strategic Management Practices on Civil Servant Performance in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Improving civil servant performance is still a burning issue in the subnational governments of developing economies where systemic inefficiencies hamper successful delivery of services by the government. This research examines the predictive impacts and the determinants of strategic management practices on civil servant performance in Oyo State, Nigeria. The quantitative cross-sectional survey design was selected, with the sample size being 1,069 civil servants in ministries, departments, and agencies using a stratified random sampling method. The data were gathered using a validated and reliable structured questionnaire and were analysed using correlation and multiple regression analyses. The results indicate that there is a positive and significant correlation between strategic management practices and the performance of civil servants (r = .545, p < .01). At the dimensional level, the public accountability, strategic leadership, strategic agility, organizational learning, and knowledge management strategy had strong positive correlations with performance, while perceived environmental uncertainty had a significant negative correlation. The regression findings show that the six dimensions of strategic management collectively predict 36.5% of the variance in civil servant performance (R² = .365), with public accountability, strategic leadership, and strategic agility being the most significant predictors. The research finds that strategic management practices are an important lever that can be used to improve the performance of civil servants in Oyo State. The policy implications include reinforcing accountability systems, leadership capacity, learning processes, and adaptive systems of governance and minimizing environmental uncertainty. It is recommended that future studies should embrace longitudinal designs and interstate comparisons to learn more about the effectiveness of strategic management in the public sector in Nigeria.

Keywords: Strategic Management Practices, Civil Servant Performance, Nigeria

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/18-1-02

Publication date: January 30th 2026