RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP VISION DEVELOPMENT AND ETHICS

Factors promoting competitiveness in tea manufacturing firms: case study of tea… 115
Further, they mentioned that hand on experiences obtained from their parent’s impact on
their success due to the exposure they received to enrich their business strategies. This finding
is in line with previous study of Duchesneau and Gartner (1990), that successful business
owners were more likely to have entrepreneurial parents.
Conclusions
Under developing economic context, Sri Lanka has concern to enhance the tea manufacturing
sector by recognizing the factors promoting competitiveness precisely. Since better
understanding about the factors promoting competitiveness of tea manufacturers make clear
path for government interventions. Thereby government can design the development program
by directing those factors.
Finding of this study confirm that tea manufacturing firms are emphasizing two main strategies
as quality and quantity to gain the competitive advantage of their firms. Accordingly,
four main variables could be identified as factors promoting competitiveness namely external
relationships, entrepreneurial competencies, entrepreneurial orientation, and innovation.
The evidence of six case studies implies that institutions related to tea industry providing range
of entrepreneurial infrastructure to enhance the EO of tea manufacturing firm. Further, tea
manufacturing firms develop their suppliers to ensure the quality and quantity of raw material
supply. Therefore, entrepreneurial infrastructure and supplier development serve as the
interface of relationship between external institutions and EO firm. Additionally findings illustrated
that presence of entrepreneurial parents facilitating for enhance their business strategies.
The conceptual model is thus modified considering the findings of the study and it is
depicted in Figure 2.
In conclusion, findings suggest that adopting innovative strategies, depending on the firm’s
EO and owner/manager competencies rather than just it happened by default. Further adopting
different types of innovations are vital for the tea manufacturing firms to face the market
competitiveness as well as contribute substantially to the Sri Lankan economy. Therefore,
this study confirms that the reasonability of the proposed approach, which could be tested in
the future research. External relationships, entrepreneurial competencies, EO and innovation
have been confirmed in this study as factors promoting competitiveness of tea manufacturing
firms.
The model presented in Figure 2 provides a contribution to the entrepreneurial literature
by illustrating the importance of variables consider as factors promoting competitiveness. Further,
revised model provides important point for the researchers to conduct further research.
Future studies could use this model to examine the applicability of this model for both service
and manufacturing firms from various industries.