Competitive Strategies and Performance of Accredited Universities in Kenya: Moderating Role of Corporate Reputation
Date
2024-09-30
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A Quarterly publication of the Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences (FBMS) University of Nairobi
Abstract
The objective of this study was to examine the moderating effect of corporate reputation on the
relationship between competitive strategies and performance of accredited universities in Kenya.
The corresponding null hypothesis stated that corporate reputation has no significant moderating
effect on the relationship between competitive strategies and the performance of accredited
universities in Kenya. Corporate reputation was measured using its six dimensions, namely,
quality programs, quality services, quality management, quality leadership and capacity to attract
and retain talented staff. The study was guided by two theories, namely, Industrial Organization
(IO) and Resource based theory. The study was conducted using a cross-sectional descriptive
survey design. Primary data was collected using a semi structured questionnaire which was
administered to academic registrars from 53 accredited universities in Kenya. The response rate
was 66.6%. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and make inference from
the research findings. The moderating effect of corporate reputation was tested using step wise
regression method advanced by Baron and Kenny (1986). The study concluded that corporate
reputation did not moderate the relationship between competitive strategies and performance of
accredited universities in Kenya. However, descriptive statistics on measures of corporate
reputation had an average mean score of 3.99 which indicates that managers in accredited
universities agreed to a great extent on the importance of applying corporate reputation measures.
Thus, emphasis on four measures whose mean scores ranged from, 4.031 to 4.156, above the
average means score was recommended, namely, quality programs or quality services, strong
management and leadership, capacity to attract and retain talented staff, benchmarking academic
program/services with other highly rated universities and the perception that accredited
universities are reliable institutions for academic training and research. Future research could
explore different functional forms or non-linear relationships between variables since corporate
reputation did not have sufficient evidence to conclude a significant linear relationship between
competitive strategies and performance of accredited universities
Key words: competitive strategies, corporate reputation and performance of accredited universities in
Kenya.
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APA