Effect of Competitive Strategy and Market Orientation on Business Sustainability in Southwest, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the effect of competitive strategy and market orientation on the business sustainability of FoodCo Nigeria Limited in Southwest Nigeria. Specifically, the study investigated the influence of cost leadership strategy, customer orientation, differentiation strategy, and inter functional coordination on business sustainability. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, while primary data was collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 368 employees selected using stratified random sampling from a population of 1,000 staff. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis with IBM SPSS Statistics version 25. The findings revealed that cost leadership strategy significantly and positively influenced business sustainability (β = 0.73, p < 0.05). Customer orientation also had a significant positive effect (β = 0.70, p < 0.05), while differentiation strategy significantly enhanced business sustainability (β = 0.69, p < 0.05). Similarly, inter-functional coordination exerted a significant positive influence on business sustainability (β = 0.68, p < 0.05). The study concludes that integrating competitive strategies with strong market orientation enhances organizational sustainability by improving operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, innovation, and collaboration. The study recommends that FoodCo Nigeria Limited should strengthen cost optimization initiatives, invest in continuous product and service innovation, deepen customer engagement through effective feedback systems, and enhance cross-functional collaboration to sustain long-term competitiveness and business growth in Nigeria’s dynamic retail industry.