Strategic responses by schindler Kenya limited to the changes in the environment.

Abstract

Organizations are environment dependent (Ansoff and McDonell, 1990) hence their interaction with environmental factors is essential for survival. For an organization to be able to retain competitive advantage, it needs to examine its environment both external and internal and respond accordingly.

This study was about the strategic responses that Schindler Kenya has adopted towards the changes in the business environment. The objective was to establish the challenges posed by the changes in the environment and documenting how Schindler has responded to these changes.

A case study on Schindler Kenya was carried out by interviewing staff from various departments of the company. Primary data was collected using an interview guide. Content analysis was then used to analyse the in-depth qualitative data that was collected.

From this case study carried out on Schindler Kenya, which is one of the leading elevator companies in Kenya, it is apparent that the company is operating in a dynamic business environment which poses many challenges. Some of these include, increased competition, advanced technology, changes in government policies and political system, market liberalization and changed customers.

The study confirmed that Schindler Kenya has been affected by the changes in the environment and has responded to the challenges by taking various measures. The company is more aggressive in its sales department; there is more emphasis in pro-activity in response to customer concerns, innovations of new products, re-branding and enforcement of its code of conduct.

The study also revealed that the company needs to respond adequately to its training requirements. The advancement in technology of elevators and sophisticated computer systems has placed additional employee-training demands. A skill development programme that enhances skills in tandem with advancement of elevator technology is of great importance.

The limitation of the study is that generalization is not possible since this was a case study on Schindler Kenya and therefore the findings may not apply to other firms. It was also not possible to get accurate data regarding the elevator industry and individual firms in Kenya from the relevant authorities since there has not been any study in this area.

It is recommended that further studies be carried out in the elevator industry in Kenya. A similar study can also be carried out to find out how other elevator companies in the market are responding to the environmental changes.