dc.description.abstract | A company without proper strategy is like a person without sight. A strategy is the direction and
scope of an organization over a long term; which gives advantage for the organization through its
configuration of resources within a challenging environment, to meet the needs of markets to
fulfill owners' expectation. The business strategy perspective argues that achieving competitive
advantage hinges on pursing a coherent competitive strategy. Strategists aver that firms should
have the inside to outside approach, whereby strategies are realigned towards making of goods
and services that cultivate their own niche in the market and format structures that sustain those
markets. Markets are points of exit for the firm’s products, and through measures like advertising
and adoption of appropriate strategy, new markets are opened.
The research design was a case study of the National Oil Corporation of Kenya on competitive
strategies adopted. The data collection tool was an interview guide. Content analysis was used to
analyze the qualitative primary data which had been collected by conducting interviews and
secondary information from the organization.
The findings from the study were that the company uses low cost strategy, differentiation, focus
and resource based strategy in order to compete with other oil marketers. The strategies enabled
the company to minimize costs, outsource services, adopt strategies to increase market share,
brand its service stations, quality offerings, marketing capabilities, technological leadership,
efficient delivery system, focus on local market, ensuring market penetration and development
and ensuring the company sources for resources in order to compete effectively with other
companies. | en |