Competitive Priorities and Competitive Advantage in Jordanian Manufacturing

Abdulkareem S. Awwad, Adel A. Al Khattab, John R. Anchor

Department of Business, College of Business Administration, Al-Hussein Bin Talal University, Ma’an, Jordan;.
Department of Management and Marketing, College of Business & Economics, University of Qatar, Doha, Qatar;.
Department of Strategy and Mar- keting, Business School, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK..

DOI: 10.4236/jssm.2013.61008                

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to explore and predict the relationship between the competitive priorities (quality, cost, flexibility and delivery) and the competitive advantage of firms in the Jordanian Industrial Sector. A population of 88 Jordanian manufacturing firms, registered on the Amman Stock Exchange, was targeted using a cross-sectional survey employing a questionnaire method of data collection. The results of the data analysis indicate a significant relationship between competitive priorities and competitive advantage. The research suggests that recognising and nurturing this relationship provides the master key for a firm to survive in a turbulent environment. Therefore, operational and marketing strategies should place emphasis on competitive priorities such as quality, cost, flexibility and delivery to achieve, develop and maintain competitive advantage. This study is one of the first to examine the relationship between the competitive priorities of Jordanian manufacturing firms and their competitive advantage.

Keywords

Quality; Flexibility; Competitive Priorities; Competitive Advantage; Manufacturing; Jordan

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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