Exploring the Strategic Role of Infrastructural Choices on Manufacturing Performance: Evidence from Kenya Sugar Sector

Abstract

Technological developments in the sugar manufacturing sector require that the managers of these manufacturing firms devise strategies and make astute infrastructural choices in order to ensure survival, growth and improve manufacturing performance of the firm. This requires manufacturing firms to devise manufacturing technological advancements, frequent innovations, as well as rapid developments in their infrastructural capacities. The purpose of the study was to explore the strategic role of infrastructural choices in supporting manufacturing performance of sugar manufacturing firms in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to: assess the effect of work force on performance, examine the effect of policies on performance, to explore the effect of communication on performance, and to determine the effect of innovation on performance of sugar manufacturing firms in Kenya. Anchored on Strategic and Routine Based theories, the study adopted both descriptive and experimental research designs anchored on realism ontology, and used both quantitative and qualitative approach. The unit of analysis was sugar manufacturing plant. The respondents were sought through both purposive and simple random sampling strategies, yielding a sample of 165 respondents. Structured questionnaires and interview schedule were used to collect primary data. Data was processed both descriptively and inferentially using Microsoft Excel 2010 and SPSS version 21. EFA, correlation analysis and regression analysis, were equally used, while qualitative data analysis was done through expert judgment, scenario mapping and critical thinking. The overall study results revealed that infrastructural choices have significant effect on manufacturing performance.

Keywords: Infrastructural choices, Decision areas, manufacturing performance.

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-28-10

Publication date:October 31^st 2019