MARKET-SENSING CAPABILITY AND INNOVATIVENESS OF HOSPITALITY FIRMS IN RIVERS STATE
Ateke, Brown Walter and Harcourt, Horsfall
Volume 3 Issue 2
Abstract
This study examined the nexus between market-sensing capability and innovativeness of hospitality firms. The study treated market-sensing capability unidimensionally, while innovativeness was decomposed into product innovation, process innovation, market innovation, behaviour innovation and strategic innovation. The study adopted a descriptive research design and collected primary data through cross-sectional survey using structured questionnaire. The study collected data from 20 hospitality firms in 4 categories (Food and Beverages; Travel and Tourism; Lodging; and Recreation). 5 firms were surveyed in each category. 7 respondents from each of the firms served as test units in the study. However, after data cleaning, 107 responses were found useable for the final analysis. The validity of the research instrument was ascertained via expert jury opinion, while its reliability was determined through the Cronbach’s Alpha test. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation served as test statistic, relying on the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 22.0. The study found that market-sensing capability has strong, positive and statistically significant correlation with innovativeness of hospitality firms; and concluded that innovativeness of hospitality firms in Rivers State depends largely, on their market-sensing capability. The study recommends that hospitality firms in Rivers State that seeks improved innovativeness in terms of product innovation, process innovation, market innovation, behaviour innovation and strategic innovation should install and utilize systems that improve their market-sensing capability. Keyword: Behaviour Innovation, Market Innovation, Market-Sensing Capability, Process Innovation, Product Innovation, Strategic Innovation
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