Abstract:
The general objective of this study was to investigate the influence of supply chain strategies on competitive advantage of the automotive companies in Kenya. The specific objectives sought to explore the influence of inbound logistics strategies, operations strategies, outbound logistics strategies, marketing & sales strategies and after sales service strategies on competitive advantage of the automotive companies in Kenya; as well as to determine government automotive policy implementation‘s moderating influence on the relationship between the supply chain strategies and competitive advantage of the automotive companies in Kenya.
The study applied the positivism philosophy, explanatory design and used a deductive approach. The study targeted a population of 400 respondents drawn from the 63 companies in the automotive industry in Kenya and used a census of all the population members. The study used questionnaires for data collection, with a response rate of 82 percent. A pilot study was done using a sample of 40 senior employees. Cronbach‘s Alpha was used to test the reliability of the instrument with an acceptable threshold of 0.7. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0, whereby both descriptive (means, percentages, and standard deviations) and inferential statistical analyses (correlations and regression analysis) were used. The first five hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression analyses while the sixth hypothesis was tested using stepwise multiple linear regression analysis.
The study findings demonstrate that inbound logistics strategies had a moderate and positive relationship with competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (r = 0.511, p < 0.05). The results from regression analysis portrayed that inbound logistics strategies had a statistically significant and positive influence on competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (β = 0.511, t = 11.085, p < 0.05). Further, the study showed that operations strategies had a moderate and positive relationship with competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (r = 0.517, p < 0.05). Regression results portrayed that operation strategies had a statistically significant and positive influence on competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (β = 0.517, t = 11.253, p < 0.05). Moreover, outbound logistics strategies had a moderate and positive association with competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (r = 0.619, p < 0.05). Findings from regression analysis indicated that outbound logistics strategies had a statistically significant and positive influence on competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (β = 0.619, t = 14.682, p < 0.05). Additionally, marketing & sales strategies had a moderate and positive relationship with competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (r = 0.468, p < 0.05). Regression results showed that marketing & sales strategies had a statistically significant and positive influence on competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (β = 0.468, t = 9.866, p < 0.05). The findings further portrayed that aftersales service strategies had a moderate and positive relationship with competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (r = 0.556, p < 0.05). Linear regression findings indicated that aftersales service strategies had a statistically significant and positive influence on competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (β = 0.556, t = 12.450, p < 0.05). Besides, the results from the study showed that government policy had a statistically significant moderating influence on the relationship between supply chain strategies and competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya (β = -1.791, t = -3.380, p < 0.05).
The study concludes that inbound logistics strategies, operation strategies, outbound logistic strategies, marketing & sales strategies, and aftersales service strategies all have a statistically significant influence on the competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya. The study also concluded that the implementation of government policy in the Kenyan automotive sector has a statistically significant influence on the relationship between supply chain strategies and the competitive advantage of automotive companies in Kenya.
The study recommends the management in automotive companies to effectively reduce the utilization of resources in non-value adding activities. Management in automotive companies should also utilize advancements in technology to improve transportation infrastructure and implement policies that are effective in guiding the management of transportation costs. Additionally, automotive companies should endeavor to enhance the technological competencies of their workforce by conducting regular training initiatives and implementing a proficient program for the training and advancement of its entire workforce. Lastly, the government should offer appropriate incentives to the automotive industry to promote the adoption of advanced technologies and collaborate with the automotive industry in the development of appropriate and effective transportation, and energy infrastructure.