Influence of Development of Human Capital Competencies on Crises Preparedness in Manufacturing Firms within the Kenya Association of Manufacturers

Abstract

To survive and thrive in a dynamic and complex competitive environment riddled with crises, manufacturing firms need to enhance their crises preparedness. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of development of human capital competencies on crises preparedness in manufacturing firms within the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). The research adopted the positivism approach as the research philosophy and utilized descriptive correlational research design. The study population consisted of 783 chief executive officers from the KAM where a sample of 292 was drawn using stratified random sampling technique. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaire whereas descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to perform data analysis. Descriptive statistics focused on relative frequency distribution, means and standard deviation while inferential statistics included ordinal logistic regression. The study results are presented in form of table and numerical measures with descriptions. The results indicate that development of human capital competencies was a significant predictor of crises preparedness of manufacturing firms (β = 1.025, p < 0.05). The study concludes that development of human capital competencies is vital for the crises preparedness of the manufacturing firms in Kenya. The study recommends to corporate leaders to continually invest in human capital to create a learning organization in harmony with their companies’ purpose, intent, mission and objectives.