The Effects of Distribution Channel Systems on the Achievement of Sustainable Competitive Advantage Among Commercial Banks in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of distribution channels on sustainable competitive advantage of commercial banks in Kenya. The study was guided by the following objective: To find the effects of distribution channels systems on the achievement of sustainable competitive advantage among commercial banks in Kenya. To meet the above objective, the research design used was descriptive survey. The target population was 44 commercial banks in Kenya as registered under the Central Bank of Kenya. Random sampling was used to select the commercial banks to participate in the study. Both secondary and primary data was collected and analysed. Secondary data was collected through internet, articles, reports and professional information while primary data was collected through a detailed questionnaire comprised of four sections filled by marketing managers. In administering the questionnaires, the respondents were contacted by mail, or drop and pick later method. The researcher sent an introductory letter on email to 20 commercial banks and the questionnaires were delivered to respective 20 commercial banks by point men of the researcher and 17 fully filled questionnaires were collected back for analysis. Data analysis involved preparation of the collected data - coding, editing and cleaning of data in readiness for processing using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) package. Qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. To better understand the characteristic of each variable, descriptive statistical analysis was used to illustrate the means, and the standard deviation of each research variable. Presentation of information was done with the aid of frequency tables, percentages, standard deviations and mean scores. The information was presented and discussed as per the objective. Findings indicate that the indeed distribution channels have a positive effect to sustainable competitive advantage of commercial banks in Kenya. The key areas mentioned include as competitive advantage are; customer growth, customer retention and loyalty and improve efficiency and service delivery. Based on the findings of this study, it‟s recommended that the stakeholders (who include marketing managers, commercial banks top management and technical teams) adopt distribution channel systems that are user friendly to the various market segments and should also create awareness by training their customers on how to protect their secret codes when using their various channels available