NNE, Kenneth-Adiele (PhD)
Department of Corporate Entrepreneurship
Faculty of Entrepreneurship, Rivers State University
Kennethnne3@gmail.com
KENNETH. C. Adiele (PhD)
Department of Marketing
Faculty of Administration and Management, Rivers State University
adiele.kenneth@ust.edu.ng
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of market innovation on competitiveness of food
and beverages firms in Nigeria. This study was founded on the positivist paradigm and employed the
quantitative methodologies in the investigation of the phenomenon under investigation. Furthermore,
these hypotheses testing study adopted a causal research design and a cross- sectional survey research
approach and obtained quantitative data from the respondents in a non-contrived environment. The study
population comprised all the sixteen (16) quoted food and beverages manufacturing firms in Nigeria; the
researcher adopted a census study because of the small size of the study population hence; there was no
need for sampling. However, four (4) managers were drawn from each of the 16 quoted food and
beverages firms that constituted the study population. In all, sixty-four (64) managers constituted the
respondents for the study. Sixty-four (64) copies of structured questionnaire were administered to the
respondent managers while fifty-five (55) copies were retrieved, cleaned and qualified for use.
Descriptively, measures of central tendencies and measures of dispersions were used in analyzing the
respondent‟s demographics. More so, the Regression analysis was used in testing the study hypotheses in
other to ascertain the influence of the predictor variable (market Innovation) on the criterion variable
(Competitiveness). The result of the analysis revealed that market innovation significantly and positively
influenced competitiveness of food and beverages firms in Nigeria. Based on the study findings, the
researcher concluded that market innovation significantly and positively influenced competitiveness of
food and beverages firms in Nigeria and thus recommended that food and beverages firms in Nigeria
should regularly engage in proper market innovation and consumer preference modifications in other to
improve their level competitiveness.
Key Words: market innovation, competitiveness and the Nigerian food and beverages sector