Muigai, David Ng'ang'a2012-01-232012-01-232012-01-23http://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/2444The HF 5415.K4 M8This study was thus conducted to evaluate the current involvement and performance of the Kenyan corporate sector in sport from the corporate marketers perspective it identified factors that influence the corporate sector involvement in sports in Kenya and also outlined the role of thecorporate sector in sports in Kenya. The study also examined sport promotion and sponsorship, sports funding, sports marketing activities and sport marketing personnel as variables of study. The manner in which the corporate sector markets products and services through sports in Kenya was the core area of the study. The sports industry worldwide is fast evolving and it is incorporating advanced management skills. The future of the profession of sport and physical education depends on the way management skills are integrated in various sport programmes being offered. Competent managers will be needed at various levels in sports programmes to ensure that the private sector is highly integrated for various levels in sports programmes to ensure that the private sector is highly integrated for obvious gains. Thus the knowledge of sport related marketing comes in handy. The literature reviewed indicated that the corporate sector is extensively involved in sport activities worldwide. This involvement has greatly increased over the last two decades owing to recent developments in strategic management methods. Literature review further revealed that sport sponsorship has become big business with expenditures in sport related marketing doubling. The motives behind the corporate sector involvement in sports were outlined as the maximization of firms' profits as well as counteracting competition and promoting a firm's corporate image. Unfortunately such empirical literature on the Kenyan case has all along remained unavailable. This study was conducted to gain insight into corporate involvement in sport in Kenya from the perspective of corporate markers. The study sample included Kenyan firms with a history of involvement in sport and a combined sample of public secondary schools in Nairobi. The research data was collected from a sample of 46 companies incorporated in Kenya and 30 secondary schools located in Nairobi province. A purposive sampling method was used and the data was collected using two sets of questionnaires. The data was analyzed using quantitative analysis as well as qualitative analysis. The findings revealed that investment in sports by the corporate sector in Kenya is on the increase. This has led to availability of more funds for meeting various costs in sports activities and programmes both at clubs and school levels. Findings in this study indicated that the Kenyan sport had gradually changed during the 1990s in concert with the shift to more liberalized economic environment. Findings in this study showed that strategic corporate investors use sports variously as a medium of marketing their products and services. From the research it was found out that 95.7% of the companies sampled used sports as a means to gain and develop publicity and 21.7% of the companies used sports to introduce new products to the market as well as to create product awareness. It was noted that with the emergence of an increasingly competitive market-place, firms selected various sports and sport related opportunities which enable them to use their own resources to maximize their profits. On the one hand firms aimed at meeting their consumer needs and choices while on the other hand they gained a competitive market advantage in industry while they marketed their products through sports. The data revealed that 71.7% of the companies used sports as a means to create as well as achieve an advantage over their business competitors. Results showed that companies used sports in order to achieve their commercial objectives. This research established that despite schools taking an active part in competitive sports companies haven't ventured greatly into schools sports. Only 20% of schools had any corporate relationship in sports, with a majority 76.7% of the schools never having any corporate involvement/assistance in sport. This research provides an overview of the nature of corporate involvement in sport and the type of promotional activities used by the corporate sector in Kenya. There is need for further research from a sport marketing perspective in Kenya.enSports--marketing--Kenya//Corporate sponsorship--Kenya.Thesis