Raphael Odoom

Brand-building efforts in high and low performing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine brand-building efforts within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an attempt to understand the extent to which such efforts are undertaken in high- and low-performing enterprises. Design/methodology/approach The study uses data from 430 SMEs in an emerging market. After evaluating scale measures with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, multiple stage analyses involving cluster analysis, ANOVA and hierarchical regression with sub-group analysis were used to examine the theoretical relationships among the constructs. Findings Findings from the study identify four composite brand-building efforts that influence SMEs’ performance. These are implemented in varying extents, culminating into proportional levels of performance within high- and low-performing SMEs. Significant differences with regard to profit margin, market share, sales volume, customer base and new product success are also exhibited in the two enterprise segments. Originality/value The results provide evidence to issues of research and managerial interest, offering insightful implications to the academic and practitioner communities. The paper offers a preliminary attempt to progress literature by synthesizing various brand-building efforts under four broader theorizations in SMEs setting.

Branding capabilities and SME performance in an emerging market: The moderating effect of brand regulations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test the effect of brand regulations on the relationship between enterprises’ branding capabilities (internal and external) and performance. It also examines the hypothesized relationship effects across manufacturing and service-based enterprises. Design/methodology/approach The study uses data from 384 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) within an emerging market setting. Moderated hierarchical regression was used to examine the theoretical interrelationships between branding capabilities and enterprise performance within the boundaries of regulations. Findings Results from the study suggest that both internal and external branding capabilities positively affect enterprise performance. However, the effect is confounded as brand regulations attenuate the relationship between enterprises’ branding capabilities and performance. Varying outcomes across manufacturing and service-based enterprises are also assessed. Originality/value The study suggests that policy makers should review regulations on businesses, particularly those relating to the small business sector. Regulations that ameliorate activities of SMEs should be implemented to promote existing enterprises, and attract new ones for industrialization in emerging markets. The findings provide evidence for issues of potential research and managerial interest, with implications for both policy makers, small business owners and the academic community.

Does Internal Marketing Influence Employee Loyalty? Evidence From the Ghanaian Banking Industry

Even though internal marketing has been a buzzword for over 25 years now, most of the literature has largely remained theoretical and few empirical studies, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, exist. Moreover, the relationship between internal marketing and employee loyalty has been underresearched. The current study explores the relationship between internal communication, reward systems, empowerment, organizational culture, training, and organizational commitment and their relationship with employee loyalty using 248 retail bank staff members. The results indicate that the internal marketing dimensions, with the exception of organizational culture, are significantly associated with employee loyalty. Managerial implications are also discussed.

Branding in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): Current issues and research avenues

Purpose Given the significant contributions of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across several economies, calls for investigations into their branding strategies are burgeoning. However, the literature is unclear, scattered and relatively scanty. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the existing literature on branding with a focus on SMEs. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a systematic review by identifying and evaluating peer-reviewed journal publications focusing on branding within the context of SMEs. The systematic design is based on papers published within the period of 2004-2014. Findings The review shows that significant progress is being made in the area under discussion. With several gaps in issues and empirical evidence, as well as in theoretical and methodological approaches, the paper signals promising lines of inquiry for both empirical and theoretical research. Research limitations/implications By highlighting the research issues, as well as providing some pertinent research questions across various themes, the paper aims at directing future research efforts to critical areas which require immediate attention. The implications of the review are discussed in the paper. Originality/value The study identifies and describes the state of research issues and evidence in branding literature within the context of SMEs over a 10-year period, prompting insightful avenues to the academic and practitioner communities.

Antecedents of social media usage and performance benefits in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Despite the blossoming nature of social media marketing, the nuances and implications among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) appear to be under-researched in literature. The purpose of this paper is to progress knowledge and offer extended understanding of the motivations and performance benefits of social media accrued by SMEs with an empirical study from an emerging economy.,Based on past research, the study hypothesizes that interactivity, compatibility and cost effectiveness are motivations germane to social media usage, which consequently offer performance benefits. Data from 210 SMEs (having Facebook and/or Twitter accounts) are employed to investigate the proposed conceptual model using structural equation modeling with sub-group analysis.,Finding from this study demonstrate that the interdependencies of social media motivations, as well as effects of social media usage are positive but erratic across product-based and service-based SMEs. Moreover, SMEs who offer physical products are more likely to employ social media based on cost-effective motives while service SMEs are more likely to consider interactivity as a key motivation. Additionally, findings from the study data suggest that in a tale of two sites, Facebook proved to edge Twitter in terms of engendering performance benefits among SME users.,The findings provide evidence to issues of potential research and managerial interest, offering insightful implications to the academic and practitioner communities. Evidently, irrespective of some usage bottlenecks, SMEs in emerging markets appears to be reaping enhanced social media benefits by deploying their marketing campaigns via multiple platforms.

Brand marketing programs and consumer loyalty – evidence from mobile phone users in an emerging market

Purpose The paper aims to examine brand marketing efforts and consumer loyalty among mobile phone users. By recognizing different levels of loyalty, the study assesses the degree of importance of the brand marketing programs on high and low loyalty consumer segments within an emerging market context. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a sample of 1,000 consumers of three mobile phone brands. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes were used in evaluating scale measures, whereas cluster analysis was used to create consumer loyalty segments. Analysis of variance was conducted to evaluate the brand marketing programs within high and low segments before multi-group logistic regressions to assess the impact of brand marketing efforts on consumer loyalty. Findings Four principal brand marketing efforts were identified from the data, with varying degrees of importance among high and low loyalty consumer segments. Additionally, from the logistic regression analyzes, the brand marketing efforts exhibited various likelihood results on brand-specific loyalties among consumers of the mobile phone brands. Originality/value The findings provide evidence to issues of potential research and managerial interest, with implications to the academic and practitioner communities. Particularly for firms seeking to enter emerging markets, the findings presented in this study provide an understanding of some consumer dynamics in such settings.

Branding and outcomes in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs): a resource–capability approach

The study investigates the relationships of enterprise resources and branding capabilities with branding efforts and branding benefits. It examines the differential effect of physical resources and branding capabilities on enterprises’ branding efforts and outcomes. Empirical data for the study were drawn from 304 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana. The hypothesized relationships were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The study found that resources and capabilities possessions might not be enough to produce the optimum branding benefits for enterprises. A better result, however, emerges when these resources and capabilities are integrated with well-coordinated branding efforts of the enterprises. The study offers several implications for managers of small businesses based on the findings of the study.

Effects of regulations and competition on the innovativeness-performance relationship: Evidence from the financial services industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature and the extent of moderation effect of the regulatory regime and competition, on the innovativeness-performance relationship among financial services firms. Based on the absorptive capacity theory, this study argues that firms must gather adequate knowledge from the external environment (specifically on regulatory systems and competitive landscape) to assist in developing competitive innovation strategies, and to realize the needed performance benefits from such strategies. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from the Ghana’s financial services sector with a focus on banking and insurance institutions. Structural equation modeling and regression models were specified to test both the direct effects of variables of interest, and the moderation effects of environmental factors on the independent and dependent variables. Findings The results of the study show that both process and product innovativeness enhance financial services firms’ performance. While competition was found to stifle innovativeness, regulatory regime was found to promote innovativeness in financial services. Regulatory regime was also found to positively moderate the relationship between process innovativeness and performance, while competition was found to positively moderate the relationship between product innovativeness and performance. Research limitations/implications The firms sampled are from an emerging economy with a growing financial services sector, and as a result, the findings may not apply to contexts with different economic characteristics. Originality/value This study asserts that in enhancing innovativeness in the financial services markets, firms must recognize the value of new external information on regulatory regime and competition as key environmental factors. Financial service firms must assimilate, transform, and apply such new knowledge in their innovation efforts in order to improve performance. For firms to fully benefit from their innovation, process innovativeness must be aligned with regulatory systems while product innovation yields best returns in competitive periods.

Brand orientation and brand performance in SMEs: The moderating effects of social media and innovation capabilities

This study aims to investigate the moderating effects of innovation capabilities and social media capabilities on the relationship between brand orientation and brand performance among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Drawing on the size differential feature from the organizational ecology theory, the paper further tests variations in these conditions across disaggregated SME levels.,The empirical part of the study was carried out with a sample of 484 enterprises in an emerging market context via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, along with a moderated hierarchical regression.,Results from the moderated hierarchical regression analysis indicate that although the two capabilities generally offered positive moderating effects across all enterprises, these are conditional and not invariant when disaggregated based on enterprise sizes (small vs medium).,The study suggests the need for enterprise owners/managers to identify optimal combinations of enterprise capabilities, based on their sizes, for which their complementarities with brand orientation efforts are more potent.

Branding efforts and SME performance – an empirical investigation of variations across firm sizes and business sectors

Purpose This paper aims to draw on the organizational ecology theory to examine variations in branding efforts and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across enterprises sizes and business operating sectors. Design/methodology/approach A four-stage analysis involving principal component analysis, Pearson correlation, ANOVA and logistic regressions was used on a sample of 430 SMEs within an emerging market. Findings Principal component analysis identified four brand marketing efforts relevant to the SMEs. These efforts were used in fluctuating extents among small-sized versus medium-sized enterprises, as well as manufacturing versus services SMEs. Additionally, proportionate levels of performance corollaries were found to be accruable across the enterprise sizes and operating sectors. Originality/value The paper first identifies four brand-building efforts germane to SMEs within an emerging market and examines their precise contributions to firm performance within enterprise sizes and business operating sectors. It further reinforces the relevance of brand marketing programs to the growth of SMEs by establishing the likelihood and extent to which brand-building efforts impact on SME performance across enterprise sizes, as well as operating sectors. The study also presents issues of potential research and managerial interest from an emerging market, offering insightful implications to researchers and SME managers.