ENTREPRENEURIAL DECISION MAKING AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE OF SELECTED MANUFACTURING FIRMS IN ANAMBRA STATE
The study examined the effect of entrepreneurial decision-making on the competitive advantage of selected manufacturing firms in Anambra State. Specifically, the study focused on assessing how strategic and operational decisions influence competitive advantage. A survey research design was adopted, with a population of 320 staff members across five manufacturing firms, from which a sample of 178 respondents was determined using Taro Yamane's formula and proportionally allocated with Bowley's method. Data were collected through a structured, close-ended questionnaire designed on a five-point Likert scale and validated by experts, while reliability was confirmed with Cronbach's Alpha. The hypotheses were tested using multiple linear regression analysis with the aid of SPSS version 23. Findings revealed that: strategic decision-making has a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage (β = 0.193, p = 0.007); operational decision-making has a positive and significant effect on competitive advantage (β = 0.740, p = 0.000). In conclusion, competitive advantage is not derived from isolated factors but from the integration of forward-looking strategies and effective operational execution. The study recommended that top management teams of manufacturing firms in Anambra State deliberately strengthen their strategic decisionmaking processes by institutionalizing structured frameworks such as scenario planning and resource-allocation models.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial decision-making, Strategic decision-making, Operational decision-making