PRODUCT DESIGN STRATEGY UTILISATION IN DETERMINING THE PERFORMANCE OF MICRO AND SMALL TEXTILE ENTERPRISES IN NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA
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Date
2023-09
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Abstract
Kenyan textile micro and small enterprises (MSEs) face a myriad of performance
challenges, key being low product differentiation. This is when enterprises imitate each
other's products. Scholars have recommended research into the most effective business
strategies textile micro-enterprises can utilize in order to address low product
differentiation. The purpose of this study was therefore to determine the utilization of
product design strategies on the performance of textile MSEs in Nairobi and thereafter
develop a textile MSE product design guide that will be used in improving product
innovations. Focussing on Nairobi City County's CBD, the first objective set to explain the
product design strategies used by MSEs in the textile sub-sector. The second objective
intended to determine the number of product innovations generated by textile MSEs in the
combined year’s 2016 and 2017. The third objective of the study determined how product
design strategies affect textile performance. The fourth and last objective focussed on the
creation of a textile MSE product design guide. This study took up a deductive,
epistemological investigation that followed a pragmatic philosophy with the following
theories underpinning it: the Componential Theory of Creativity (CToC); the Concept
Knowledge Theory (C-K); the Resource Based View theory (RBV) and the Dynamic
Capabilities Theory (DCT). Purposive and snowball sampling were used to identify the
textile MSEs before surveys with descriptive and explanatory designs and quantitative data
analysis were done. A chi-square goodness of fit test revealed significant variation in textile
MSEs' product innovations. The test was statistically significant for the variation in the
amount of product innovations by textile MSEs. A second multiple logistic regression test
indicated that both benchmarking strategies and research strategies had a significant
influence on innovation. Thereafter, a Pearson chi-square independence test revealed a
statistically significant association between the two strategies under study and their product
innovation, however, the association strength was found to be weak as indicated by a
Lambda test and confirmed by Phi coefficient as well as a contingency coefficient test. The
ANOVA effect size analysis test was then used to reveal that the combined strategies had
medium to small effects on the dependent variable. In conclusion, the test results showed
that there was a significant influence of product design strategies on the performance of
textile MSEs in Nairobi City County, Kenya. In light of this, a comprehensive product
design guide, specifically tailored for textile micro and small enterprises (MSEs), and to
be used in improving product innovations was developed. Other recommendations from
the study include: improving the work environment and intrapreneurship orientation; using
combination strategies for increased performance (innovation) and using design guides like
the one proposed by the study. Recognition of design management as a critical intervening
variable that affects the performance of textile MSEs was also made. Due to their limitation
in size of the MSEs, the study also found the need to use association and collaboration to
improve performance, while diversification strategy can be effectively employed to
mitigate competition and imitations. Additionally, association and collaboration with
design consultative units in Research institutions, Universities, government departments,
or NGOs for robust R&D and NPD was encouraged.