| dc.description.abstract | The manufacturing sector is a key driver of socio-economic growth but also a major
contributor to environmental degradation through its activities, processes, and products.
In response to evolving consumer demands and sustainability pressures, manufacturing
firms are increasingly adopting Green Marketing (GM) strategies to reduce
environmental impacts while enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. These
strategies promote environmental protection while creating new markets and
employment opportunities. However, their influence within Kenya’s manufacturing
sector remains underexplored, and the extent of their impact on firm performance and
sustainability is not well understood. The overall objective of this study was to establish
how GM strategies, green customer satisfaction (GCS) and regulatory frameworks (RF)
affect green customer loyalty in the manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County of
Kenya. The specific objectives were to: establish the influence of green product quality
on green customer loyalty in the manufacturing firms in Nairobi City County;
determine the influence of green price on customer loyalty; assess the influence of green
promotion on customer loyalty; establish the influence of green corporate image on
customer loyalty; evaluate the extent to which green customer satisfaction intervenes
in the relationship between GM strategies and customer loyalty; establish the
moderating effect of regulatory frameworks on the relationship between GM strategies
and customer loyalty; and determine the joint effect of GM strategies, green customer
satisfaction and regulatory frameworks on customer loyalty. The study was anchored
on the diffusion of innovation, expectancy disconfirmation paradigm and stakeholders’
theories. The descriptive cross sectional survey design was employed using a target
population of 725 manufacturing firms in the County from which a sample of 258
respondents was drawn. A pilot study of 20 randomly selected firms was conducted to
test the reliability and validity of the research instruments. A self-administered
questionnaire and interview guide were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential
statistics were generated, including percentages for profiling, the Chi-square for testing
variable relationships, and the ordinal logistic regression to test hypotheses at a 5%
significance level. The findings revealed that green product quality significantly
influenced customer loyalty (β = 0.804, p = 0.007), indicating that perceived
environmental and functional quality drives loyalty. However, green price, promotion,
and corporate image did not show any statistically significant effects on loyalty (β = –
0.337, p = 0.403; β = 0.373, p = 0.197; β = –0.034, p = 0.428). Green customer
satisfaction was found to significantly mediate the relationship between GM strategies
and loyalty (β for GCS = 2.488, p = 0.000; β for GM = 0.887, p = 0.041). Although
Regulatory frameworks had a strong independent effect (β = 1.652, p = 0.000), it did
not significantly moderate the relationship (β = –0.147, p = 0.445). In the joint model,
all three predictors significantly influenced loyalty, with customer satisfaction (β =
2.512, p = 0.000) and Regulatory frameworks (β = 1.743, p = 0.000) having positive
impacts. However, GM strategies had a significant negative coefficient (β = –1.298, p
= 0.007). The study concludes that customer loyalty is best achieved through quality
green products, genuine customer satisfaction, and credible regulatory compliance.
While GM strategies like price and promotion play supportive roles, they are
insufficient on their own in influencing customer loyalty. The study suggests that in
order to enhance customer loyalty, manufacturing firms need to adopt integrated
strategies that align product quality, transparent pricing, and authentic promotion with
customer expectations and existing regulatory standards. | en_US |
