Description
Strategic positioning has a considerable impact on the
performance of organisations that eventually results to improved market position and
competitive advantage. Textile and apparel industry is faced with various challenges in
Kenya; high cost of production due high electricity cost, high wages, low efficiency
machinery and competitive low price second hand clothes. This study sought to explore the
influence of strategic positioning on the performance of manufacturing companies in Kenya,
taking a case of textile and apparel companies in Kenya. The study addressed
specific objectives; to assess the influence of strategic resourcing, research and
development and marketing strategy on the performance of manufacturing companies in
Kenya. The study findings inform policy makers in effort to build Kenyan textile and apparel
companies, and the future scholars in this subject. The findings also gives insight to players in
the industry on how positioning would help them become competitive in the industry. The
study was anchored on resource based theory and network theory. The study employed
descriptive research design targeting 63 companies in textile and apparel manufacturing sub
sector. Census approach was used in this study. Data was collected targeting the senior
managers/operation managers in the selected firm using a questionnaire. Email method was
used to distribute the questionnaires; questionnaire kept simple to encourage responses. The
respondents were followed via a phone call to fill the questionnaires. The data collected was
analyzed in SPSS and presented using charts and tables. Data collected was crosschecked for
completeness before entering in SPSS for analysis. Both descriptive and inferential statistics.
The study found strategic resourcing, research and development, and marketing strategies had
statistically significant effect on the performance of apparel and textile firms in Kenya. The
study concludes that strategic positioning is an effective approach in sustaining the
performance of manufacturing firms in Kenya.
