Continuous Improvement Systems And Competitive Positioning In The Real Estate Agency Sector In Kenya

Abstract

The study was conducted within the Kenyan context and it focussed on two main objectives. The first objective was to establish the extent to which Continuous Improvement Systems (CIS) have been adopted by real estate agencies in Kenya in the process of competitive positioning. The second objective was to examine the relationship between continuous improvement systems and competitive positioning with special focus on real estate agencies in Kenya. The researcher conducted the study using correlational survey. A sample survey was conducted whereby samples were picked from three clusters of the population of real estate agencies operating in Kenya depending on the location of their headquarters. The clusters included Nairobi, Mombasa and other counties. The study found out that a majority of real estate agencies appreciate and implement the eight quality management principles (QMPs) that form the basis of continuous improvement systems. The indicators of sustainable competitive positioning were however averagely rated and not as highly achieved as the QMPs. It was also noted that most real estate agencies are aware of such continuous improvement systems as benchmarking, ISO standards and total quality management (TQM) but there was a poor implementation of ISO standards and TQM. The study also found out that there is a great positive correlation between continuous improvement systems and competitive positioning. The recommendations made included the training of real estate agencies on the importance of continuous improvement systems, how to implement the same and incorporate it in their processes and systems and on how to achieve and utilize both institutional and resource capital which are attributes of competitive positioning. Real estate agencies should also endeavor to have top management support, mutually beneficial supplier relationships and share mutually beneficial information with their competitors via such methods as inter-agency contracts.