scholarly journals Internationalization of SMEs and market orientation

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soniya Billore ◽  
Gautam Billore

Purpose This paper aims to study the context of market orientation and the contribution of customer knowledge, networking and cultural knowledge to market orientation particularly to the internationalization of firms in developing economies. Design/methodology/approach A multiple case approach is adopted with four Swedish firms internationalizing to the Indian market. The data was obtained through personal interviews and typically lasted an hour. Follow-up questions were obtained by personal meetings or on Skype. Data was collected over a period of seven months during 2016-2017. Findings This study highlights the importance of customer knowledge, networking and cultural knowledge for foreign small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the initial stages of internationalization. It proposes that a holistic market sensing of the target market can be achieved as the three constructs contribute to the market orientation of the firms and help in devising relevant strategic fit with the market. Research limitations/implications The sample size is small due to a limited number of Swedish SMEs who have the experience of operating in the Indian market. Future studies may include the Nordic region, and a quantitative approach for testing market orientation frameworks can be adopted. Originality/value This study lifts the concept of market sensing as customer knowledge, networking and cultural knowledge strengthen the market orientation of the firm. It addresses the research gap about limited research in developing market contexts for SME internationalization and specifically on Swedish SMEs in the Indian market.

Author(s):  
Seemant Kumar Yadav ◽  
Vikas Tripathi ◽  
Geetika Goel

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of market orientation on performance and to figure out the mediator effect of incremental innovation on this relationship with an implementation on Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach Following a survey among 333 owners/managers of SMEs in Indian, six research propositions were framed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and regression analysis was used for the purpose of data analysis. Findings The outcome of the study demonstrates a significant effect of market orientation on SMEs performance. In addition, the mediating effect of innovation between market orientation and business performance was not supported in the context. Research limitations/implications This study uses cross-sectional research, which limits the ability to test the causality; hence, such studies should be replicated in other settings also to get more evidences about the relationship. Practical implications The research will help managers especially in manufacturing SMEs of developing countries to understand benefits of being market-oriented to improve performance. Originality/value The study attempts to enrich the market orientation literature especially in developing economies. It identifies the significant effect of interfunctional coordination on performance of small and medium enterprises working in more volatile environment. Further, the study also examines mediating role of innovation between market orientation and performance linkage.


foresight ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huma Sikandar ◽  
Umar Haiyat Abdul Kohar

Purpose There is a growing trend of open innovation (OI) in small and middle enterprises (SMEs) these days, yet the implementation of OI in SMEs is a challenge because of their financial and resource constraints. This study aims to identify and analyze the past trends, barriers and outcomes and major factors influencing the implementation of OI in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach This review is based on 40 published articles from the Scopus database. It selects highly cited papers published from 2010 to 2019. The PRISMA statement template is used to explain the overall process of selection and rejections of the relevant articles. Findings The study contributes in two ways. First, through a comprehensive literature review, the authors highlight the overall development of the concept of OI in the literature over the past 10 years and highlight the findings of the significant studies. Second, the authors provide detailed representations of the OI literature by calculating yearly publications and identifying the SMEs which mostly implement OI practices, journals that publish a relevant article, OI-related publications in different disciplines and geographical locations in which most of the OI studies have been conducted. The study also reveals the most cited articles, journals and authors. Originality/value The authors conclude this paper with the argument that although much research has been done in the OI field, still there is a need to establish tools, models and methods that could facilitate SMEs in OI, especially for developing economies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 1307-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irwan Usman ◽  
Haris Maupa ◽  
Muhammad Idrus ◽  
Siti Haerani ◽  
Nurjanna Nurjanna

PurposeThis paper examines how market orientation and competence of knowledge reinforce the innovation and in turn improve the business performance.Design/methodology/approachThis research applied research design with quantitative approach based on positivism philosophy, that is, research aimed to test the theory and data which is general to produce findings that are special through hypothesis test. This study was supplemented by field studies as a necessary source of data in the form of trends, attitudes, opinions, perceptions of owners, managers or senior employees of SMEs in the textile industry in Bali, related to the variables used in this study.Findings(1) Market orientation influences business performance, (2) competence of knowledge moderates the influence of market orientation on business performance, (3) innovation moderates the influence of market orientation on business performance.Originality/value(1) Novelty of this research is developing the concept of competence of knowledge associated with business performance in which this relationship has not yet been expressed. (2) Building the concept of innovation development of small-scale industry based on the market orientation. (3) Developing the concept of innovative development of small and medium enterprises of textile industry based on competence of knowledge. (4) Investigating the concept of market orientation and competence of knowledge in an integrated and holistic way to strengthen the innovation and business performance of SMEs of the textile industry in Bali.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muslim Amin ◽  
Ramayah Thurasamy ◽  
Abdullah M. Aldakhil ◽  
Aznur Hafeez Bin Kaswuri

Purpose – This study aims to examine the effect of market orientation (MO) as a mediating variable in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs)’ performance. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 500 SMEs in the manufacturing industry of food and beverages were involved in this study with a response rate of 117. Data collection was conducted in all states of Peninsular Malaysia including the northern, central, southern and eastern regions. Findings – The findings show that EO has a significant relationship with MO, and MO has a significant relationship with SME performance. MO will mediate the relationship between EO and SMEs’ performance. Practical implications – The higher the EO implemented in a business, the more willing a company will be to implement MO. This analysis shows that highly entrepreneurial firms tend to be highly market orientated and this affects SMEs’ performance. Originality/value – The results of this study show that the characteristic of entrepreneurial and MO practiced by SMEs in Malaysia has been significantly affected the SMEs’ performance. It indicates that EO offers a holistic and systematic model for supporting SMEs to build a well-maintained environment of MO and SMEs’ performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 230-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Ayakwah ◽  
Leandro Sepulveda ◽  
Fergus Lyon

Purpose An efficient policy supporting clustered business operations necessitates an appreciation of the dynamics of rivalry and collaborations among businesses. This paper postulates that variation in competition and cooperation can significantly influence the nature of business relationships among clustered businesses, which is essential for cluster policy particularly (Newlands, 2003) as most research on rivalry and cooperation in clusters have been in developed economies. The purpose of this paper is to seek to fill the gap in the literature in African clusters based on original empirical research. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a mixed-method research design allowing for data triangulation to study two food processing clusters. The approach comprises a survey and in-depth interview with key actors along the supply chain. Findings The findings show that business clusters with more formal business structures tend to have minimal horizontal competition but higher vertical cooperation. Comparatively, clusters with more socially embedded milieu tend to have higher levels of cooperation and minimal competition in both vertical and horizontal relationships. The research also shows that such variations in inter-business relationships have an effect on cluster operations in terms of business access to finance, formal contract, sharing of innovation and the way they relate to different stakeholders in their supply chain. Originality/value This paper advances a critical case for international business theory on clusters in Africa to incorporate the distinctive business relationships in small and medium enterprises (SME) clusters. It also demonstrates how unique location-specific attributes of developing economies hold the key to sustaining the operations of SME-based clusters.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Reza Jafarian-Moghaddam

Purpose The financial resources limitation, the difficult conditions for entry into the market and the lack of sufficient funds are the most important problems facing Iranian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). For these reasons, this paper aims to propose an appropriate methodology for formulating the most influential Iranian SMEs development strategies to make it possible to grow and make more income. Then, a framework is developed to precisely determine the target market for Iranian SMEs. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis; Pareto principle and analysis of the market conditions to propose the development strategies and uses a methodology based on multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) method to determine the target market. Findings According to the research results, it is necessary for the Iranian SMEs to follow the brand strengthening, product and market development, enhancing product quality and creating research and development units strategies focusing on the domestic market. The results obtained from the empirical study also indicated that the customer acquisition rate improved from 0.06 to 0.13 per month, and the company's income has a 64% growth in 2016 than the year 2015 through the selection of some public customers as the target market. Originality/value Very few studies have been done so far on the formulation methodology of a market entry strategy for SMEs. Studies by researchers imply that no studies have been conducted in Iran in this regard. International studies also mainly focus on the impact of some marketing activities.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Kazakov ◽  
José L. Ruiz-Alba ◽  
María M. Muñoz

PurposeThe present study examines the concept of internal market orientation (IMO) and its effects on organisational performance comprising job satisfaction and employees' loyalty in the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) research context. Rooted in administrative theory, human relations theory, conventional theories of IMO and internal marketing, this study develops a novel iIMO theoretical framework that evinces the proliferation of ICTs in SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed concept was empirically investigated by means of surveying 316 SME employees with the application of a multi-stage sampling procedure.FindingsResearch findings confirmed the viability of the ICT-supported iIMO framework, its positive effects on SMEs' organisational performance, and exhibited ample empirical evidence for the proficiency of the iIMO concept and its suitability for operationalisation by SMEs.Originality/valueThis study introduces ICTs as a novel IMO dimension which considers the undergoing holistic digitalisation of businesses. In addition, the present research posits the plausibility and confirms the benefits that arise following iIMO implementation in SMEs.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Urban ◽  
Kudzanai Mutendadzamera

Purpose Realizing the value of social capital to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing economies, where relationship networks play a big role in filling the gaps that are left by dysfunctional institutions, the purpose of this paper is to gain an empirical understanding of various forms of social capital in relation to the innovation of SMEs in Zimbabwe. Design/methodology/approach Primary data is collected from SMEs across several regions in Harare, where instrument validity is checked with confirmatory factor analysis, and hypotheses are tested using moderated regression analyses. Findings A positive influence is observed for both alliance capital and reputational capital on innovation, while non-significant moderating effects in terms of environmental hostility and dynamism are noted for these relationships Practical implications On a practical level, to increase levels of innovation, SME owner-managers need to secure stronger investments into their social infrastructure by developing (both physical and digital) alliance and reputational capitals Originality/value By segregating various forms of social capital, an original understanding is attained in terms of how entrepreneurs actively leverage alliance and reputational forms of social capitals to increase their levels of innovation. The theoretical and empirical understanding of the social capital-innovation link is enhanced, and the study constructs now have broader application as their psychometric properties have been established in an under-researched African market context.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1331
Author(s):  
Job Dubihlela ◽  
M. Dhurup

The purpose of the study was to examine the barriers of market orientation by SMEs in South Africa. Data were collected using the personal face-to-face interviews with the use of a structured questionnaire. A total of 350 SMES were selected randomly and visited within the various municipal areas in South Africa. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the dimensions using the principal component analysis. A four-factor structure emerged accounting for 62% of total variance. The reliability analysis, reflected coefficient values ranging from 0.743 to 0.893, indicating satisfactory internal consistency amongst variables within each dimension. By analysing the barriers, the adoption of market orientation among SMEs, managers, and marketers are presented with recommended strategies and implications on how to embrace market orientation for effective business performance. Marketing capacities of SMEs may be strengthened through the implementing of market orientation. SMEs are vital for socio-economic progress for developing economies. Effective implementation of market orientation can assist SMEs growth and development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zengming Zou ◽  
Yu Liu ◽  
Naveed Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Safdar Sial ◽  
Alina Badulescu ◽  
...  

The topic of corporate social responsibility (henceforth referred to as CSR) has been a central topic during the last decade, but the majority of the existing literature discusses CSR relationship with large organizations. Whereas, its contribution in small and medium enterprises (henceforth referred to as SME) sector has received little attention. There have been some studies that focused on CSR activities in SME sector quantitatively in the context of developing economies like Pakistan, but the fact is, to date, SME sector of Pakistan is not participating actively in CSR-related activities due to some constraints. The present study is a pioneer attempt, to explore CSR barriers that restrict SME sector of Pakistan from practicing CSR initiatives. For this reason, the present study explores these barriers qualitatively in order to gain in-depth knowledge of different CSR barriers. In doing so, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews from 9 SMEs in Lahore city of Pakistan. We performed thematic analysis, which produced five relevant themes of CSR barriers, including: Lack of resources, lack of regulations, lack of top management commitment, lack of CSR knowledge, and passive customer behavior. Our analysis further showed that lack of resources is the most related barrier that hinder SMEs to be engaged in CSR activities. This paper contributes to CSR literature in emerging economies’ context. Through an increased awareness of barriers, policy makers and practitioners may take necessary steps to improve CSR practices in SMEs.


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