STRATEGIC RESPONSE AND COMPETITIVENESS OF STAR-RATED HOTELS IN THE COASTAL REGION OF KENYA
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Abstract
The purpose of the current study was to examine the effects of strategic agility on competitiveness in star-rated hotels. The study’s specific objective was to evaluate the effects of strategic response on the competitiveness of star-rated hotels in Kenya’s coastal region. The study was anchored on the Dynamic capability theory, contingency theory and resource based theory. The target population of the study comprised 170 respondents drawn from 34 star-rated hotels in the coastal region of Kenya with the target respondents being general and departmental managers. The study adopted stratified sampling techniques to put respondents into strata and simple sampling technique to select respondents from stratum. The study’s sample size was 120 general/assistant managers, and departmental managers stratified into sales and marketing managers, operation/food and beverage managers, human resource managers and finance/procurement managers. Questionnaires were utilized to obtain data from the respondents. A pilot study was conducted from 15 general and departmental managers from three, 2 star-rated hotels not included in main study. The study employed both descriptive and inferential statistics in data analysis with aid of Statistical Package of Social Science. The findings revealed that strategic response is a key determinant of competitiveness, highlighting the need for hotels to respond swiftly to external shifts. The study, therefore, recommended that star-rated hotels should optimize resource allocation and make swift, informed decisions to foster innovative agility, enhancing their strategic responsiveness.
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References
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