RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COMPETITOR ORIENTATION AND PERFORMANCE: SCENARIO IN KENYAN UNIVERSITIES

Competitor orientation is one of the market orientation components based on an organization?s ability to understand the competitor?s capabilities and strategies as well as strengths and weaknesses in order to generate competitive advantage in the organization. It involves an organization assessing their positions, developing appropriate strategies and responding quickly to competitors? actions and market dynamics. Amid stiff competition for students in the higher education market, this study sought to analyse the relationship between competitor orientation and performance of universities in Kenya. The research design adopted for this study was descriptive and correlative, and targeted 63 universities in Kenya. A total of 115 respondents were selected from a sample of 23 universities. Both stratified sampling and purposive sampling were used in selecting respondents from the population. A structured questionnaire, administered through drop and pick method was used in collecting data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in analysing data using Stata and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Inferential statistics showed a relationship of competitor orientation on student satisfaction and number of programmes in both private and public universities is statistically insignificant. However, when universities are categorized into private and public universities, competitor orientation becomes statistically significant in public universities and improves student satisfaction and number of programmes but less in private universities. The study concludes that a university that is competitor oriented is likely to be successful and achieve competitive advantage through constant monitoring and assessing its strengths and weakness relative to its competitors.