IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/jfr/ijba11/v5y2014i6p48-60.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Competition as a Response Strategy to Globalization by Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Solomon Kinyanjui
  • Margaret A. Oloko
  • Hazel G. Gachunga
  • Beatrice G. Gathondu

Abstract

Globalization affects local and international firms in many ways. Studies have shown that factors in the internal as well as external environments of firms influence the rate to which globalization will affect them. On the local scene however, no known studies have been done on the response of Kenyan manufacturing firms to counter globalization. In addition, since the concept of globalization is multidimensional and its influence is varied in nature, this study aimed at investigating how manufacturing firms in Kenya have responded to probable pressure from the forces of globalization in order to sharpen their competitiveness. Cross sectional survey design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was the 735 manufacturing firms in Kenya. The target population of the study was CEOs/MDs and their deputies from 545 manufacturing companies in Nairobi and Athi River. Stratified sampling technique was used to categorize the targeted manufacturing firms into sectors where purposive sampling technique was used to sample the respondents for the study. A total of 100 firms from the 14 sectors were targeted by the study out of which 80 responded giving a response rate of 80%. Questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Regression and correlation analysis was done to test the relationship between the study variables. On the relationship between competition and globalization in manufacturing firms in Kenya, the study found that 60% of the respondents indicated to a large extent exploring other markets is a competitive strategy of responding to globalization, 55% of the respondents indicated that to a large extent increasing the range of products produced is a competitive strategy of responding to globalization, 40% of the respondents indicated that to a very large extent innovations are competitive strategies of responding to globalization. The findings from the correlation analysis showed that globalization has a positive relation with competition with a Pearson¡¯s Correlation Coefficient of 0.558 and 0.021 level of coefficient. The null hypothesis that there is no significant relationship between globalization and competition was therefore rejected. The study concluded that manufacturing firms in Kenya have adopted competition as response strategies to globalization. The study recommended that manufacturing firms should reduce the direct cost such as energy while improving the market share.

Suggested Citation

  • Solomon Kinyanjui & Margaret A. Oloko & Hazel G. Gachunga & Beatrice G. Gathondu, 2014. "Competition as a Response Strategy to Globalization by Manufacturing Firms in Kenya," International Journal of Business Administration, International Journal of Business Administration, Sciedu Press, vol. 5(6), pages 48-60, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:jfr:ijba11:v:5:y:2014:i:6:p:48-60
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/ijba/article/view/5909/3536
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: http://www.sciedu.ca/journal/index.php/ijba/article/view/5909
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Philippe Aghion & Robin Burgess & Stephen Redding & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2005. "Entry Liberalization and Inequality in Industrial Performance," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(2-3), pages 291-302, 04/05.
    2. Bernard, Andrew B. & Jensen, J. Bradford & Schott, Peter K., 2006. "Survival of the best fit: Exposure to low-wage countries and the (uneven) growth of U.S. manufacturing plants," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 219-237, January.
    3. Klara Sabirianova Peter & Jan Svejnar & Katherine Terrell, 2012. "Foreign Investment, Corporate Ownership, and Development: Are Firms in Emerging Markets Catching Up to the World Standard?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 94(4), pages 981-999, November.
    4. Peltonen, Tuomas A. & Skala, Martin & Santos Rivera, Alvaro & Pula, Gabor, 2008. "Imports and profitability in the euro area manufacturing sector: the role of emerging market economies," Working Paper Series 918, European Central Bank.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Daniela Maggioni, 2013. "Productivity Dispersion and its Determinants: The Role of Import Penetration," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 537-561, December.
    2. Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & Svejnar, Jan & Terrell, Katherine, 2014. "When does FDI have positive spillovers? Evidence from 17 transition market economies," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(4), pages 954-969.
    3. Jan Hagemejer & Joanna Tyrowicz, 2012. "Is the effect really so large? Firm‐level evidence on the role of FDI in a transition economy-super-1," The Economics of Transition, The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, vol. 20(2), pages 195-233, April.
    4. Peter, Klara Sabirianova & Svejnar, Jan & Terrell, Katherine, 2004. "Distance to the Efficiency Frontier and FDI Spillovers," IZA Discussion Papers 1332, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Yuriy Gorodnichenko & Jan Svejnar & Katherine Terrell, 2010. "Globalization and Innovation in Emerging Markets," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 2(2), pages 194-226, April.
    6. Klara Sabirianova & Jan Svejnar & Katherine Terrell, 2005. "Distance to the Efficiency Frontier and Foreign Direct Investment Spillovers," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 3(2-3), pages 576-586, 04/05.
    7. Matthias Flückiger & Markus Ludwig, 2015. "Chinese export competition, declining exports and adjustments at the industry and regional level in Europe," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 48(3), pages 1120-1151, August.
    8. Pinelopi K Goldberg & Amit K Khandelwal & Nina Pavcnik & Petia Topalova, 2010. "Multiproduct Firms and Product Turnover in the Developing World: Evidence from India," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 92(4), pages 1042-1049, November.
    9. Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & Svejnar, Jan & Terrell, Katherine, 2007. "When Does FDI Have Positive Spillovers? Evidence from 17 Emerging Market Economies," IZA Discussion Papers 3079, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Jose Asturias & Manuel García-Santana & Roberto Ramos, 2019. "Competition and the Welfare Gains from Transportation Infrastructure: Evidence from the Golden Quadrilateral of India," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 17(6), pages 1881-1940.
    11. Yane, Haruka & Yamada, Hiroyuki, 2015. "Import Competition from Neighbors: Impacts on Performances of Enterprises in Vietnam," Conference papers 332621, Purdue University, Center for Global Trade Analysis, Global Trade Analysis Project.
    12. Andrés César & Guillermo Falcone, 2020. "Heterogeneous Effects of Chinese Import Competition on Chilean Manufacturing Plants," Economía Journal, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association - LACEA, vol. 0(Spring 20), pages 1-60, December.
    13. Keller, Wolfgang & Utar, Hale, 2023. "International trade and job polarization: Evidence at the worker level," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).
    14. Gorodnichenko, Yuriy & Sabirianova Peter, Klara, 2007. "Public sector pay and corruption: Measuring bribery from micro data," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(5-6), pages 963-991, June.
    15. Deborah L. Swenson, 2007. "Competition and the location of overseas assembly," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(1), pages 155-175, February.
    16. Carluccio, Juan & Gautier, Erwan & Guilloux-Nefussi, Sophie, 2023. "Dissecting the impact of imports from low-wage countries on inflation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    17. Tiago Pereira, 2016. "The effect of developing countries' competition on regional labour markets in Portugal," GEE Papers 0058, Gabinete de Estratégia e Estudos, Ministério da Economia, revised Mar 2016.
    18. Andrew B. Bernard & Stephen J. Redding & Peter K. Schott, 2006. "Multi-Product Firms and Product Switching," NBER Working Papers 12293, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    19. Larch Mario & Lechthaler Wolfgang, 2011. "Comparative Advantage and Skill-Specific Unemployment," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-58, April.
    20. Nordin, Nur Naddia & Nordin, Nur Haiza, 2016. "Determinants of Innovation in Developing Countries: A Panel Generalized Method of Moments Analysis," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 50(2), pages 93-105.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    competition; globalization;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:jfr:ijba11:v:5:y:2014:i:6:p:48-60. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Jenny Zhang (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://ijba.sciedupress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.