The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of managerial skills on sustained competitive advantage among IT Networking SMEs in Kenya. The study was anchored on Katz’s Managerial Skills Theory. A positivist research philosophy and descriptive correlational research design were adopted. The unit of analysis comprised 365 licensed IT networking SMEs in Kenya, while the unit of observation comprised 1,078 senior employees drawn from these firms. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 292 respondents. Of the 292 questionnaires distributed, 242 were completed and returned, yielding a response rate of 82.9%. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 30 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Correlation (r=0.585, p<0.01) and regression (β=0.585, B=0.312, p<0.001; R²=0.342) indicate significant positive influence. Strategic thinking (M=3.93), innovative thinking (M=3.90), and systems thinking (M=3.87) were highly developed. The study concludes that conceptual skills explain 34.2% of the variation in competitive advantage; hence, H0₁ is rejected. Further, it concludes that managers' strategic thinking, ICT systems thinking, and innovative thinking capabilities enhance organizational competitiveness. The study recommends that SMEs strengthen market intelligence, institutionalize strategic planning and innovation management practices, and promote cross-functional collaboration to improve adaptability, decision- making, and long-term competitiveness. The findings provide practical insights for SME managers, policymakers, and ICT industry stakeholders by highlighting the importance of strengthening managers' conceptual skills to enhance sustained competitive advantage in Kenya’s digital economy.
John-Suit N Mogeni, Veronicah Kaluyu, Gabriel Okello· The University Journal· 0 citations
This study aimed to quantify the strength and direction of the relationship between managers’ technical skills and firms’ sustained competitive advantage among IT networking SMEs in Kenya. The study adopted a positivist philosophy and a descriptive correlational design. A stratified random sample of 292 senior managerial employees was targeted from 365 licensed IT networking SMEs across Kenya's eight ICT Authority licensing tiers; 242 valid responses were achieved (response rate = 82.9%), using a structured, closed-ended questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using SPSS version 28, employing descriptive statistics and simple linear regression to test the hypothesised relationship. Technical skills were highly developed among managers, with ICT functional skills recording the highest mean (M = 3.99), followed by ICT problem-solving skills (M = 3.97) and ICT analytical skills (M = 3.87). At the composite level, regression analysis showed a positive and statistically significant association between technical skills (M = 3.87, SD = 0.63) and sustained competitive advantage (M = 3.87, SD = 0.36) (β = 0.607, R² = 0.369, p < .001), with technical skills accounting for 36.9% of the variance in sustained competitive advantage. The cross-sectional, single-source, self-reported design limits causal inference and may be subject to common method bias; the sample was nested within firms without adjustment for clustering, and the sampling precision estimate does not account for the study's stratified, clustered design. Findings are specific to licensed IT networking SMEs in Kenya. Therefore, firms should invest in structured technical skills training for managers to strengthen their capacity to sustain competitive advantage in a dynamic ICT market.
John-Suit N Mogeni, Veronicah Kaluyu, Gabriel Okello· Research Journal of Business...· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
