Influence of Knowledge Acquisition on Sustainable Competitive Advantage of Selected Manufacturing MNCs in Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of knowledge acquisition on sustainable competitive advantage in the selected manufacturing MNCs in Nigeria. A descriptive survey research design was used for this study. The population of the study comprises of full time direct staff of three Manufacturing Multinational Companies in Nigeria, namely: The Nigeria Bottling Company, Nestle Nigeria plc., and Cadbury Nigeria plc., which is 2,746, 2,268 and 489 respectively, while the sample size stood at 469, which were determined through Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula. A well designed questionnaire was developed to gather data for the research. Content validity was used to validate the questionnaires developed for the study. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to examine the reliability of the scales of measurement. One research hypothesis was formulated and tested using simple regression analysis. The results showed that knowledge acquisition (β = 0.271, t = 2.344, p < 0.05) has positive and significant effect on sustainable competitive advantage of selected manufacturing MNCs in Nigeria. The study concluded that the degree to which MNCs in Nigeria enjoy the benefit of knowledge acquisition is determined by supportive systems including knowledge management systems, organisational cultural, human capital capacity and technology infrastructure. The study recommended among others that MNCs in Nigeria should seek to facilitate knowledge acquisition activities and processes. By this, workers would be able to obtain the right mix of information and knowledge needed to complete their tasks effectively and on time, allowing the organisation to sustain a competitive advantage.