School of Business and Economis

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Browsing School of Business and Economis by Subject "Animal feed"

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    Effect of strategic positioning on competitive advantage of animal feeds manufacturing firms in upper Eastern and Central Kenya
    (Mount Kenya University, 2024-06) Kairira, Peter Mwika
    Over time, enhancing a company's performance had mainly involved securing a competitive position compared to industry peers. There was a growing focus on understanding how to establish and maintain a competitive advantage in the face of increasing competition. A competitive advantage results in improved performance by cultivating greater customer loyalty, heightened satisfaction, improved financial outcomes, and a larger market share. As a result, organizations were increasingly working to strategically position themselves within their industries to surpass competitors. Despite implementing various strategic changes to maintain a competitive edge, companies in the animal feed manufacturing sector, including those in the central and upper east regions of Kenya, confront intense competition from both established and new players. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of strategic positioning on the competitive advantage of animal feed manufacturing firms in Upper Eastern and Central Kenya. The specific research objectives will involve investigating the influence of continuous improvement, strategic leadership, strategic assets, and product differentiation on the competitive advantage of animal feed manufacturing firms in Upper Eastern and Central Kenya. The competitive advantage theory, the capability- based view theory, the market-based view theory, and the resource-based view theory will all provide insights into the research. Employing an explanatory research design, the study will focus on 96 animal feed manufacturing firms in Central and Upper Eastern Kenya. The selection process purposefully chose branch managers and operations managers or their equivalents from each firm, forming a sample size of 192 respondents. The census methodology was applied, covering the entire population and chosen based on the desired level of precision. Primary data was collected through research questionnaires, and descriptive and inferential statistics was utilized for data analysis. The research will adhere to ethical standards and principles, presenting the findings through charts and tables. Charts and tables were utilized to present the findings of the study. The conclusions drawn from the results suggest that implementing continual enhancement yields a beneficial and noteworthy impact on competitive advantage within the Animal feeds manufacturing firms in Central and Upper Eastern Kenya. Similarly, the adoption of strategic leadership exhibits a constructive and considerable influence on competitive advantage within Animal feeds manufacturing firms in Central and Upper Eastern Kenya, as does the utilization of strategic assets and product differentiation. The study advises animal feeds manufacturing firms to prioritize bolstering strategic leadership across managerial echelons, from mid-level managers to top executives, to ensure they grasp their responsibilities in fostering and preserving competitive advantage over the long haul.