IMPACT OF CORE COMPETENCIES ON ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE OF INDUSTRIAL GOODS FIRMS IN NIGERIA

The study examined the impact of core competencies on organizational performance in Nigeria. It empirically investigated whether industrial goods firms in Nigeria enjoy sustained success by focusing on core competencies like their counterparts in developed economies as documented in some prior literature. Specifically, the study determined whether strong brand name, strong sales force, innovation, agility, and strong creative thinking as dimensions of core competencies impact on organizational performance. To address this objective, primary data was collected using structured questionnaire measured on Likert summated rating scale. A sample size of 200 employees drawn from selected industrial goods firms was used for the study. Descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis were used to illuminate the data and test hypotheses. The results revealed that strong brand name, strong sales force, and strong creative thinking positively and significantly impact on organizational performance. Though innovation and agility have positive influence, but were not significant. Against this backdrop, it was recommended that management of industrial goods firms should leverage on core competencies to remain competitive in the global market space. Keywords: Agility, Creative thinking, Innovation, Strong brand name, Strong sales force. JEL Classification: L25 M10 O14