Competitor Orientation and Innovation: Kenyan Deposit Taking Sacco Experience

The study sought to examine the influence of competitor orientation on innovation in Kenya’s Deposit Taking SACCO’s. The study adopted descriptive survey research design and targeted 49 respondents drawn from all the 7 Kenyan deposit taking SACCO’s in western region. A census study was considered. Structured questionnaires and an interview schedule were used to collect data. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The data was presented in a tabular form. Simple linear regression results indicated that competitor orientation accounted for 51.4% of variance in innovation (R² = .514) and was statistically significant (F=40.207 β=.554, t=6.341, p<0.01. The study recommends that Deposit Taking Sacco managers’ should pay keen interest on their competitors so as to get information on their strategies, strengths and weaknesses as this may assist in bolstering innovation. The paper contributes to scholarly debate on the influence competitor orientation plays in enhancing innovation in Kenya’s Deposit Taking Sacco’s.

JEL classification:C12, L10, M10, M31.