Green Purchasing Management and Competitive Advantage of Alcoholic Beverages Manufacturing Companies in Kenya

Abstract

Global alcoholic firms gain a competitive advantage through innovation and green purchasing, while Kenyan manufacturers face rising costs and disruptions, with limited local evidence on the effect of green purchasing management on competitive advantage. This research sought to examine the influence of green purchasing management on the competitive advantage of alcoholic beverage manufacturing companies in Kenya. This study adopted a positivist research philosophy and employed descriptive and explanatory research designs. The target population comprised 394 respondents from 41 alcoholic beverage manufacturing companies in Kenya, including CEOs and heads of supply chain, corporate relations, human resources, finance, production, sales and marketing, quality control, logistics, and warehousing. A sample size of 198 respondents was determined using Yamane’s formula, and stratified random sampling was used, achieving a 95% response rate. Both primary and secondary data were utilised. Primary data were collected using questionnaires and analysed using thematic analysis for qualitative data, and descriptive and inferential statistics for quantitative data. Green purchasing management explained 76.2% of the variation in competitive advantage and significantly predicted it (β = 0.336, p < 0.05). Descriptive and qualitative findings showed that firms implement green purchasing through supplier environmental audits, eco-friendly sourcing, eco-labelling, sustainable packaging, and supply chain waste reduction. The study provides empirical evidence that green purchasing management enhances competitive advantage in Kenyan alcoholic beverage manufacturing firms. Managers should adopt green purchasing practices to enhance competitive advantage, while NEMA and KRA enforce regulations and support sustainability compliance capacity building.