| dc.description.abstract | The study sought to achieve the following objectives to determine the extent of
liberalization within the sugar industry in Kenya and to establish the competitive
strategies adopted by sugar processing firms in response to liberalization of the sugar
industry in Kenya. The research was conducted through a descriptive cross-sectional
survey design. The target population of the study comprised of all the 9 sugar processing
firms in Kenya (Appendix I). For each firm, 3-5 managers were targeted for the census.
The researcher collected both primary and secondary data. The drop and pick method was
used to collect data.Primary data was obtained by use of a questionnaire (Appendix III).
The questionnaire consisted of structured questions on the effects of liberalization on
competitive strategies adopted by sugar processing firms in Kenya. The questionnaires
were then administered on such managers for the desired data. The respondents were also
allowed to submit electronic copies of filled questionnaires. In order, to increase the
response rate, the researcher made use of telephone calls to remind the respondents to fill
and return the filled questionnaires.Secondary data was collected from news
bulletins,audited financial reports,news items and any relevant literature material like
related academic research projects.The data was then be processed using the Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Microsoft Excel 2010 computer software with
these findings as at 5.2. The study concluded that there was slow adoption of competitive
strategies by sugar processing firms in Kenya towards the effects of intended
liberalization. This is attributable to lack of top management support and failure to invest
in modern technologies for example information communication technology. This
negatively impacts on efficiency of operations and cost reduction. The study recommends
that top management should provide guidance where key supply chain management is
most inefficient. This is between planting and delivery of the cane. This is as a result of
planting of long maturity cane, use of manual harvesting methods and slow delivery of
the cane to the Millers. The researcher faced a number of challenges: it was not easy to
have busy employees to help in filling the questionnaires since most of them thought that
the process was tedious and non-paying. In most cases, white collar workers consider
their time precious and worth payment; therefore, it was a hard subject convincing them
that the research was meant for the betterment of their working conditions. Also, due to
social desirability nature of the questions in the questionnaire, it was presumably difficult
to convince the respondents to give only true information. | en_US |
