Factors affecting competitiveness in plastic manufacturing companies in ZIMBABWE

Abstract

The plastic manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe is a sector of strategic importance to the economy as it supplies critical products to almost every other sector with packaging, agriculture, construction, automotive, and household taking the lion’s share of its end-user markets. Globalization and trade liberalization has opened business opportunities but in the same vein, it has also opened a floodgate of competitive pressure to the industry. This study was conducted to investigate internal and external factors affecting competitiveness in the plastic manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe. The study had a total population of 105 plastic manufacturing companies out of which a purposive-convenience non-random sample of 52 plastic manufacturing companies was chosen and investigated using a descriptive cross-sectional research design with an online survey strategy. The study used online questionnaires and interviews as data collection techniques. The SPSS statistics program was used to analyze the data. The study came out with the findings that human capital, remuneration systems, technological development, organizational culture, power supply, financial access, competition pressure, support systems and high wages significantly affect firm competitiveness in plastic manufacturing companies. The study made recommendations of measures that could be adopted to enhance firm competitiveness in plastic manufacturing companies.