Strategic Drivers for Sustainable Competitiveness in the Alcohol Manufacturing Firms in Kenya: A Case of East African Breweries Limited

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the drivers of strategic sustainable competitiveness in alcoholic beverage manufacturing, specifically focusing on East African Breweries Limited (EABL). The specific drivers considered in the study comprised of marketing strategies, resource management strategies and cost management strategies. Methodology: The study employed a descriptive correlational design, targeting a population of 320 senior and middle-level managers. In addition, the study adopted stratified random sampling to select 178 participants. Data collection was based on a structured questionnaire, and descriptive and inferential analysis was conducted via SPSS Version 25.0. The analysis, expressed as frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations, was presented in the form of tables and figures. Findings: Regarding marketing strategies, the correlation analysis revealed a significant positive moderate correlation (r = .533, p = .000) between marketing strategies and strategic sustainable competitiveness, explaining approximately 28.5% of the variance. The ANOVA was statistically significant, with an F-statistic of 55.673 and a p-value of 0.000, indicating that marketing strategies are significant predictors of strategic sustainable competitiveness. Furthermore, regression coefficients indicated that for every unit increase in marketing strategies, there is a corresponding increase of 0.535 units in strategic sustainable competitiveness. Concerning resource management strategies, the study found a significant positive correlation (r = .595, p = .000) between resource management strategies and strategic sustainable competitiveness, explaining approximately 35.4% of the variance.  On cost management strategies, the study also found a significant positive correlation (r = .685, p =.000) between cost management strategies and strategic sustainable competitiveness, explaining approximately 46.9% of the variance. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study recommends increasing investments in events and activations, such as themed festivals or exclusive product launches, to boost brand visibility. It further recommends investing in cutting-edge brewing technology, such as automated fermentation systems, to maintain precise and consistent brews. It is also necessary to improve the identification and elimination of inefficiencies in brewing processes through regular audits and adopting best practices. Finally, further research should investigate the integration of sustainability practices into marketing, cost management, and resource management strategies within the brewing industry.