Knowledge Audit and Transient Competitive Advantage in Textile Manufacturing Firms in Kenya

The textile industry can advance the country's economic standing by offering work opportunities and contributing to the country's gross domestic product. Nevertheless, the textile sector in Kenya has not achieved the anticipated levels of growth. This paper aimed to investigate the influence of knowledge audit on the transient competitive advantage of textile manufacturing companies in Kenya. The study used a positivist research philosophy and utilized a quantitative correlational research methodology. A sample of 165 research respondents was randomly chosen from a population of 280 top-level managers from 56 textile enterprises in Kenya. Data collection was conducted using a standardized questionnaire, and the collected data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis. The study findings established that knowledge audit had a statistically significant and positive influence on transient competitive advantage in textile manufacturing companies in Kenya (β = 0.660, t = 13.314, p < 0.05). The study concluded that textile manufacturing firms with effective knowledge audit practices including effective knowledge needs analysis, knowledge inventory analysis, and knowledge flow analysis are bound to have strong transient competitive advantage in terms of market share and profits. The study recommends that the management of textile manufacturing firms conduct frequent assessments of knowledge requirements inside their firms.