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Firms’ competitive strategies and profitability among self-employed vocational and non-vocational graduates in Arusha and Dar es Salaam cities, Tanzania

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dc.contributor.author Mwakilema, N. S.
dc.date.accessioned 2023-08-22T10:25:04Z
dc.date.available 2023-08-22T10:25:04Z
dc.date.issued 2023
dc.identifier.citation Mwakilema, N. S. (2023). Firms’ competitive strategies and profitability among self-employed vocational and non-vocational graduates in Arusha and Dar es Salaam cities, Tanzania. East Africa Journal of Social and Applied Sciences, 5(1): 14-28. en_US
dc.identifier.issn 2714-2051
dc.identifier.issn 0856-9681
dc.identifier.uri http://repository.mocu.ac.tz/xmlui/handle/123456789/564
dc.description A full text article from Community and Rural Development , available at: https://journals.mocu.ac.tz/index.php/eaj-sas en_US
dc.description.abstract The implementation of one or more competitive strategies promises higher profitability for small firms. However, it remains unclear whether self-employed vocational and non vocational graduates adopt any particular strategies to achieve increased profitability. This study aimed at examining the influence of competitive strategies on firm profitability among self-employed graduates. In order to achieve this, a descriptive cross-sectional survey design was adopted, involving a sample of 384 respondents. Quantitative data were analysed using independent samples t-test and multiple linear regression, while qualitative data underwent constant comparison content analysis. The results of the independent samples t-test indicate a significant difference in gross profit and net earnings between the two groups (p < 0.05). Specifically, self-employed vocational graduates' gross profit and net earnings were higher than those of their counterparts. Furthermore, the findings on competitive strategies reveal that both categories of graduates' businesses' overall profitability performance were positively influenced by both cost-leadership and differentiation strategies (p < 0.05). Based on the outcomes of the independent samples t-test, it can be concluded that profitability between vocational and non-vocational graduates differs due to inadequate price control among non-vocational graduates. As a result, efforts to improve competitive price setting are necessary among non-vocational graduates. Moreover, this study concludes that self employed graduates can achieve higher profitability by simultaneously pursuing both cost leadership and differentiation competitive strategies. To enhance firm profitability among self employed graduates, it is recommended that interventions focus on strengthening cost leadership and differentiation strategies for both categories of graduates' businesses. By shedding light on the influence of competitive strategies on profitability performance among firms owned by self-employed vocational and non-vocational graduates, this study significantly contributes to the body of knowledge on profitability performance in the academic literature. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher East Africa Journal of Social and Applied Sciences en_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries Vol. 5;1
dc.subject Competitive strategy en_US
dc.subject Non-vocational graduates en_US
dc.subject Profitability performance en_US
dc.subject Self-employed graduates en_US
dc.subject Vocational graduate en_US
dc.title Firms’ competitive strategies and profitability among self-employed vocational and non-vocational graduates in Arusha and Dar es Salaam cities, Tanzania en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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