Strategic Choices and Competitive Advantage of Manufacturing Firms in South-South
Abstract
This study was conducted to examine strategic choices and competitive advantage of Manufacturing Firms in South-South Nigeria. The specific objective was to investigate the influence of strategic alliance and resource availability on competitive advantage of Manufacturing Firms in South-South Nigeria. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 2427 with a sample size of 343 which was determined using Taro Yamane formula for sample size determination. Data was collected through the use of questionnaire and was distributed to the respondents out of which 322 copies were filled and returned. The data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation and simple linear regression analysis. Findings indicated that strategic alliance and resource availability have statistically influence on competitive advantage of Manufacturing Firms in South-South Nigeria (R2. of 864, .828, Beta coefficients of 0.847,882, and P-value of .000,.00, P>0.05). It was concluded that the dimensions of strategic choices such as strategic alliance, and resource availability have significant and positive influence on competitive advantage of Manufacturing Firms in South-South Nigeria. Therefore, it was recommended that Manufacturing firms should actively seek and establish strategic alliances with complementary firms, technology providers, and research institutions to access new resources, reduce innovation costs, and expand market reach.