Competitive Strategies Applied by Flower Firms in Nairobi

Abstract

Competitive strategy is the search for a favorable competitive position in an industry, the fundamental arena in which competition occurs. Competitive strategy aims to establish a profitable and sustainable position against the forces that determine industry competition. Competitive strategy is about being different. It is choosing a different set of activities to deliver a unique mix of value. The purpose of the study was to determine the competitive strategies applied by flower firms in Nairobi.

The specific objectives of the study was to find out the competitive strategies adopted by flower firms in Kenya and establish the challenges faced by flower firms in implementing competitive strategies so formulated. The research design for this study was survey design. The population consisted of 23 flower companies registered with KFC as at end of May 2010 located in Nairobi. Data collection was done through semi structured questionnaires targeting one management staff in each company. The questionnaires were either dropped and picked later or emailed to the respondents.

Data was analyzed in the form of descriptive statistics which included mean, standard deviation, frequencies and percentages and presented in form of tables and pie charts. The study established that most companies applied competitive strategies to a moderate extent; this could be attributed to the challenges faced by flower firms in implementing competitive strategies so formulated. Hence there is need to develop dynamic capabilities for a sustainable competitive advantage.

Competitive advantage can be achieved through the synergistic combination and integration of sets of resources that competitive advantages are formed on. This study had several limitations including the population of the study which left out other flower companies located in other areas of the country. The researcher recommends that a replicate study be carried out in another industry for comparison of results.