SUPPLY CHAIN COMPLEXITIES AND PERFORMANCE OF FLOWERS EXPORTING FIRMS IN NAKURU COUNTY, KENYA
Keywords:
Supply Chain Complexities, Operational Complexities, External Complexities, Performance , Flowers Exporting FirmsAbstract
Managing the supply chain (SC) is a critical issue in any kind of business domain, as the success or failure of an organization is highly dependent on the capacity and capability to manage its SC network. In the era of technological revolution, global companies are working in a distributed business environment, where they need to keep an eye on every aspect of their supply networks. Despite the significance of the floriculture sector in the economic growth, the sector performance has been declining. The general objective of the study was to assess effect of supply chain complexities on performance of flowers exporting firms in Nakuru County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine effect of operational complexities, and external complexities on performance of flowers exporting firms in Nakuru County, Kenya. The study was guided by four theories; Resource-based theory and prospect theory. This adopted a descriptive research design. The targeted 76 flower firms in Nakuru County. The unit of observation was 76 supply chain, 76 finance, 76 administration and 76 operations managers hence a target of 304 respondents. Taro Yamane's 1967 sampling formula was used to sample 172 respondents. Stratified sampling technique was used to sample the respondents. The study used close ended questionnaires to collect data. A pilot test was conducted with 17 managers. The study used content and construct validity. Reliability was measured using Cronbach alpha. Data was coded and keyed into SPSS version 28. Results were tabulated. The study investigated the influence of operational complexities on firm performance. The findings show that respondents recognized the challenges posed by factors such as managing multiple plants, diverse product ranges, and quality management. The study finally investigated the influence of external complexities on firm performance. The findings reveal that respondents recognized the challenges posed by economic downturns, market uncertainties, and export regulations. In light of the findings on operational complexities, it is recommended that flowers exporting firms in Nakuru County, Kenya, streamline their operational processes to improve efficiency and scalability. In response to the findings on external complexities, it is recommended that flowers exporting firms in Nakuru County, Kenya, adopt a proactive approach to managing external risks and uncertainties.
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