Marketing first? The role of marketing capability in SME growth

IF 2 Q3 BUSINESS

Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship Pub Date : 2022-09-14 DOI:10.1108/jrme-05-2021-0070

Sanna Joensuu-Salo, Anmari Viljamaa, Emilia Kangas

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引用次数: 3

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine the growth rates of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over a three-year period, the relationship between firm size and firm growth in the context of SMEs, and the effect of marketing capability (MC) on firm growth and how it relates to firm size. The theoretical framework is based on the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from Finnish SMEs (n = 214) and analyzed with Latent growth curve modeling (structural equation modeling). Respondents were chief executive officers or company owners. Findings Results show that firm size is unrelated to the rate of change, and MC has a significant effect on both the intercept and slope parameters. Smaller SMEs have less MC than larger SMEs. Practical implications While the overall human resources level of the SME is not linked to the rate of growth, MC is. This is an important point for small business growth studies, for it shows what type of personnel is called for during rapid growth. SMEs could advance significantly and rapidly if they invest in versatile human capital, especially in the marketing area. Originality/value Majority of the MC research involves larger corporations. This study brings new insights from SME perspective. In addition, this study suggests that it is imperative to consider different types of growth separately. This study contributes to this need by demonstrating the connection between employee growth rate and MC in SMEs.

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营销第一?营销能力在中小企业成长中的作用

目的本文旨在检验中小企业在三年内的增长率，中小企业背景下企业规模与企业增长之间的关系，以及营销能力对企业增长的影响及其与企业规模的关系。该理论框架基于资源观和动态能力。设计/方法/方法从芬兰中小企业（n=214）收集数据，并使用潜在增长曲线建模（结构方程建模）进行分析。受访者是首席执行官或公司所有者。结果表明，企业规模与变化率无关，MC对截距和斜率参数都有显著影响。小型中小企业的MC比大型中小企业少。实际含义虽然中小企业的整体人力资源水平与增长率无关，但MC与增长率有关。这是小企业增长研究的一个重要点，因为它表明了在快速增长过程中需要什么类型的人员。如果中小企业投资于多功能的人力资本，特别是在营销领域，它们可以取得显著而迅速的进步。创意/价值大多数MC研究涉及较大的公司。这项研究从中小企业的角度带来了新的见解。此外，这项研究表明，必须分别考虑不同类型的增长。本研究通过证明中小企业员工增长率与MC之间的联系，有助于满足这一需求。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship BUSINESS-

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

36.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Research in Marketing and Entrepreneurship (JRME) publishes research that contributes to our developing knowledge of entrepreneurial and small business marketing. Even though research into the relationship between marketing and entrepreneurship is still relatively young, the subject has thus far proved exciting and thought provoking, and critical thinking has progressed rapidly.The journal stands at the interface of research in marketing and entrepreneurship. Coverage may include, but is not limited to: -The size and structure of the entrepreneurial enterprise. -SMEs and micro businesses approach marketing -Intrapreneurship -The role of entrepreneurship in marketing -The role of marketing in entrepreneurship -How do successful entrepreneurs market their product and services? -Competencies necessary for the successful entrepreneur -The role of entrepreneurship (and, as appropriate, intrapreneurship) in the development of organizations -Life cycles of organizations: the stages in the growth of firms and the analysis of critical episodes -The influence of external help, support, and personal contact networks -Opportunity recognition -Relationships between SMEs and larger firms: how SMEs interact successfully with larger firms and how these larger firms in turn manage their relationships with SMEs -Strategic and management issues that pertain to marketing -Cultural and sociological perspectives of the entrepreneur -Cross-cultural studies and work on developing economies -Appropriate research methodologies