Competitiveness of Tier three Commercial Banks in Kenya: The Role of Strategic Leadership Practices

The banking industry in Kenya has been dynamic, with only eight (8) out of the forty (40) banks controlling over 74% of the market share. The tier three banks, despite being the majority (22), only have 8.8% market share. The banks have also been characterized by turbulent operating market, declining revenues and profits, and shrinking capitalization. This has seen some of these banks being held at receivership and others put under statutory management. This prompted the study to assess whether strategic leadership has been a concern in these banks, and whether this has a hand in competitiveness of third tier banks in Kenya. The study was anchored on Porter’s theory of competitive advantage and the contingency theory of leadership. A cross-sectional research approach informed collection of data though a questionnaire from 112 participants drawn from 22 third-tier banks in Kenya. SPSS was used in analysis. The findings revealed that strategic leadership practices through financial resource mobilization, human resource development, strategic innovation, strategic direction and customer focus had a significant influence on competitiveness of tier three commercial banks in Kenya. The study concluded that strategic leadership practices through financial resource mobilization, human resource development, strategic innovation, strategic direction and customer focus were instrumental in enhancing the competitiveness of tier three commercial banks. The findings from the study could be significant to strategic management practitioners, managers of tier three commercial banks, the government and policy-makers and future researchers.