INFLUENCE OF IDEATION ON ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY OF TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN RIFT VALLEY REGION, KENYA
Abstract
The textile industry is increasingly recognized as a key pillar in achieving Kenya's Big Four Agenda and Vision 2030. However, these firms face the challenge of maintaining competitiveness in a rapidly changing global landscape. To thrive in the evolving market, Kenyan textile firms must embrace innovation across all stages but there remains a gap in understanding how to successfully integrate innovation for sustainable performance. This study aimed to examine the influence of ideation on the organizational sustainability of textile companies in the Rift Valley region. Guided by the resource-based view theory, the study employed a cross-sectional survey research design, targeting 14 textile manufacturing companies. A census method was used to select 61 managers, while 12 key informants were purposively chosen from innovation-leaning institutions in the region. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaire data was analysed using frequencies, mean, standard deviation, and linear regression method while qualitative data was analysed using the thematic technique. Findings indicated that ideation significantly influences organizational sustainability, accounting for 44.7% of variance. The study concludes that to effectively promote organizational sustainability, firms in the Rift Valley textile industry should enhance ideation. The study recommends that policymakers and industry practitioners should foster stakeholder engagement through frameworks encouraging diverse perspectives and invest in employee training.
Keywords: Ideation, Innovation, Textile, Organizational Sustainability
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