Innovation as a strategy to attain competitive advantage in the Kenya Telecommunication Industry: A case study of Safaricom Kenya

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2013

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Daystar University

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating innovation as a strategy to attain competitive advantage in the telecommunication industry in Kenya by looking at the case of Safaricom. The target population was the management staff at Safaricom Telecommunication Company. The study relied mostly on primary data sources. The study employed simple random technique in coming up with a sample size of 323 respondents. Both qualitative and quantitative data were generated where quantitative data was coded and entered into Statistical Packages for Social Scientists and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The study concluded that there are four key innovation strategies that have been adopted, that is, technology innovation strategies, product innovation strategies, market innovation strategies and process innovation strategies. Finally, the study concluded that innovation practices have benefited the company in various aspects resulting to spread of the organization in the country hence improving on the sales volume per day. The study recommended that the innovation strategy needs to specify how innovation will be conversed to employees to achieve their buy-in and must explicitly reflect the importance that management places on innovation. Also the study recommended that there should be reliable infrastructure, enough financial resources and the staff should be equipped with adequate skills and knowledge on the new technology through regular. Further, the study recommended that the company should strive to ensure product range extension, product replacement, product improvement, product re positioning and new product introduction to enable them to be more productive, to grow faster, to invest more and also to earn more profit.

Description

Keywords

Innovation, Competitive advantage, Kenya Telecommunication Industry, Safaricom Kenya

Citation

Innovation as a strategy to attain competitive advantage in the Kenya Telecommunication Industry: A case study of Safaricom Kenya By Carolyne Njuguna, Daystar University, 2013