INFLUENCE OF STRATEGIC ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIORS ON COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF ANIMAL FEEDS INDUSTRY IN NAKURU CITY, KENYA

Abstract

The most successful business empires globally are those that continuously seek strategies to enhance competitive advantage and drive performance. However, animal feed manufacturers in Nakuru City face significant challenges in establishing and maintaining a competitive advantage due to increasing competition and evolving market demands. This study established the influence of strategic organizational behaviors on the competitive advantage of the animal feeds industry in Nakuru City, Kenya. Three key objectives guided this research: to assess how strategic individual behavior, strategic group behavior, and strategic organizational technology behavior influence the competitive advantage of the animal feed industry in Nakuru City. Notable organizational behavior theories that guided this study's independent variables were Frederick Taylor's scientific management and McGregor's Theory X and Theory Y, while the dependent variable, competitive advantage, was informed by a Resource-Based View (RBV). Guided by a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, the research first collected quantitative data through structured questionnaires from a sample of 362 employees selected using stratified, proportionate random sampling, followed by qualitative data from 20 purposively selected key informants via semi-structured interviews. The target population comprised 3,785 employees from 38 registered animal feed manufacturing companies. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. The findings revealed that strategic individual behavior (M=3.86, β₁=0.251, p=0.000), strategic group behavior (M=3.78, β₂=0.587, p=0.000), and strategic organizational technology behavior (M=3.83, β₃=0.507, p=0.000) all had statistically significant positive influences on competitive advantage. The overall model accounted for 68.2% of the variance in competitive advantage (R²=0.682, F=232.994, p=0.000). Qualitative findings corroborated the quantitative results by explaining how individual capabilities, collaborative group dynamics, and effective technology use collectively enhance organizational competitiveness. The study concludes that strategic organizational behaviors play a critical role in strengthening competitive advantage within the animal feeds industry. It recommends fostering employee empowerment, enhancing team-based practices, and investing in advanced technological systems to sustain organizational competitiveness. The findings revealed that strategic individual behavior (M=3.86, β₁=0.251, p=0.000), strategic group behavior (M=3.78, β₂=0.587, p=0.000), and strategic organizational technology behavior (M=3.83, β₃=0.507, p=0.000) all had statistically significant positive influences on competitive advantage. The combined model explained 68.2% of the variance in competitive advantage (R²=0.682, F=232.994, p=0.000). Qualitative findings from 19 key informants provided more profound insights into how these behaviors manifest in practice, revealing themes such as diverse leadership approaches, team cohesion, collaborative decision-making, technology adoption, and process automation that directly contributed to market positioning and operational excellence. The study concluded that strategic organizational behaviors are critical determinants of competitive advantage in animal feed manufacturing firms, followed by technology and individual behaviors. The study recommends that animal feed manufacturers prioritize developing practical leadership approaches, fostering collaborative team dynamics, and investing in strategic technology adoption to enhance their competitive positioning. Policymakers should create supportive frameworks for organizational behavior.