To Examine the Influence of Market Place as a Factor of Corporate Social Responsibility on Competitive Advantage within Pharmaceutical Companies in Kenya

This article examines the influence of market place as a factor of competitive advantage within pharmaceutical companies in Kenya. The study used probability sampling under the category of stratified and simple random sampling. The population of interest was composed of 23 pharmaceutical manufacturing as listed in the 11th edition of Kenya Manufacturers and Exporters Directory 2015 (KAM, 2015). The sample was 46 respondents both in Managerial and Non Managerial positions. The research instrument was a questionnaire. Analysis of the data was done using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings suggest that CSR activities enhance relationships with customers and it also presents an avenue for customer attraction and loyalty with company brands. Improved relationships with customers may well be translated into economic benefits. Regarding brand recognition, the study has shown that CSR provides greater transparency to the market(s) in which the companies operate and as such it can be innovatively applied to provide uniqueness and differentiation from competitors. Based on the results of this study, the conclusion is that adoption of CSR activities enhances pharmaceutical firm performance in the Market Place particularly on the elements of customer attraction and brand recognition. This study recommends that Pharmaceutical companies in Kenya should adopt CSR activities as there are clearly competitive advantages which include profit realization, employee attraction and retention, company and brand reputation, customer attraction, and brand recognition. The type of CSR activity to be adopted should be considered in view of the nature of customers it serves. This is in line with the respondents suggestion that CSR activities should be aligned to the sustainable development goals and that a company can restrict itself to 2 or 3 goals for better management.