Entrepreneurial Marketing Skills and Small-Scale Business Performance: The Case of Ghana

Authors

  • Andrews Ayiku University of Professional Studies, Accra, Ghana
  • E. Stephen Grant University of New Brunswick

Abstract

The development of SMEs serves as a tool for creating employment opportunities in developing countries. SME growth can be attributed to how owners and managers use entrepreneurial marketing skills in their day-to-day operations. A quantitative study was used to gain an understanding of the application of marketing skills in SMEs and the development of SMEs in Ghana. Findings indicate that entrepreneurs acquire marketing skills during their years of operation, however, these skills are not in tune with modern business trends and market competition. Establishing marketing departments and equipping business owners with marketing skills enables their ability to deal with volatile consumer demands. Likewise, requisite marketing skills enable market understanding, new marketing approaches, and the design of demand driven products and services

References

Abdul Rahim, H., & Saad, A. (2015). The shift from traditional marketing to entrepreneurial marketing practices: A literature review. Business and Management Studies, 1(2), 134-139.

Abor, J., & Biekpe, N. (2006). Small business financing initiatives in Ghana. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 4(3), 69-77.

Acheampong, G. (2015). Small and medium-scale enterprise (SME) survival in Ghana: A social network theory perspective. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Ghana].

Ackah J., & Vuvor, S. (2011). The Challenges Faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Obtaining Credit in Ghana. [Unpublished master’s thesis, Blekinge Tekniska Hogskola School of Management, BTH University].

Adegbuyi, O. A., Akinyele, F. A., & Akinyele, S. T. (2015). Effect of social media marketing on small scale business performance in Ota-metropolis, Nigeria. International Journal of Social Sciences and Management, 2(3), 275-283.

Adom, K. (2015). Recognizing the contribution of female entrepreneurs in economic development in sub-Saharan Africa: Some evidence from Ghana. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 20(01), 1-24.

Adomako, S., Danso, A., Uddin, M., & Damoah, J. O. (2016). Entrepreneurs’ optimism, cognitive style and persistence. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 22(1), 84-108.

Agostini, L., Caviggioli, F., Filippini, R., & Nosella, A. (2015). Does patenting influence SME sales performance? A quantity and quality analysis of patents in Northern Italy. European Journal of Innovation Management, 18(2), 238-257.

Asheq, A. A., & Hossain, M. U. (2019). Sme Performance: Impact of Market, Customer and Brand Orientation. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 23(1), 1-9.

Akosile, I. O. (2017). Rethinking innovation: the knowledge spill over strategic entrepreneurship In micro and small firms in Nigeria. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Salford].

Amin, M., Thurasamy, R., Aldakhil, A.M., & Kaswuri, A. H. B. (2016). The effect of market orientation as a mediating variable in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and SMEs performance. Nankai Business Review International, 7(1), 39-59.

Amoah-Mensah, A. (2013). Strategic resources and performance of rural SMEs. International Journal of Business and Social Research, 3, 106-119.

Anderson-Macdonald, S., Chandy, R., & Zia, B. (2014). The impact of marketing (versus finance) skills on firm performance: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in South Africa. In STICERD Economics Seminar. Retrieved from http://www. haas. berkeley. edu/groups/marketing/seminars/Papers/Fall (Vol. 202015).

Asafo-Adjei, S. (2015). The impact of business development services on micro enterprises in the Asante Akim South District of the Ashanti Region. [Doctoral dissertation, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology].

Asah, F., Fatoki, O. O., & Rungani, E. (2015). The impact of motivations, personal values and management skills on the performance of SMEs in South Africa. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 6(3), 308-322.

Baker, M. J. (2016). What is marketing? In The Marketing Book (pp. 25-42). London: Routledge.

Berisha, G., & Shiroka Pula, J. (2015). Defining small and medium enterprises: A critical review. Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences, 1(1), 17-28.

Boateng, G .O., Boateng, A. A., & Bampoe, H. S. (2015). Microfinance and poverty reduction in Ghana: Evidence from policy beneficiaries. Review of Business & Finance Studies, 6(1), 99-108.

Bonett, D .G., & Wright, T. A. (2015). Cronbach's alpha reliability: Interval estimation, hypothesis testing, and sample size planning. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 36(1), 3-15.

Brixiová, Z., Ncube, M., & Bicaba, Z. (2015). Skills and youth entrepreneurship in Africa: analysis with evidence from Swaziland. World Development, 67, 11-26.

Brustbauer, J. (2016). Enterprise risk management in SMEs: Towards a structural model. International Small Business Journal, 34(1), 70-85.

Burns, P. (2016). Entrepreneurship and small business. London: Palgrave Macmillan Limited.

Cant, M. C., & Wiid, J. A. (2016). The use of traditional marketing tools by SMEs in an emerging economy: a South African perspective. Problems and perspectives in management, 14,(1), 64-70.

Chang, J. F. (2016). Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. Boca RatonAuerbach Publication.

Chaston, I. (2015). Entrepreneurial marketing: Sustaining growth in all organisations. London: Palgrave Macmillan.

Cooney, T.M. (2012). Entrepreneurship Skills for Growth Oriented Businesses. https://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/cooney_entrepreneurship_skills_HGF.pdf

Dacko, S. G. (2006). Narrowing the skills gap for marketers of the future. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 24(3), 283-295.

Day, J. (2015). The Marketing-Entrepreneurship Interface: A Contextual and Practical Critique of the Role of Entrepreneurship. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Huddersfield.]

Deakins, D., Bensemann, J., & Battisti, M. (2016). Entrepreneurial skill and regulation: Evidence from primary sector rural entrepreneurs. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 22(2), 234-259.

Expósito, A., & Sanchis-Llopis, J.A. (2019). The relationship between types of innovation and SMEs’ performance: A multi-dimensional empirical assessment. Eurasian Business Review, 9(2), 115-135.

Falkner, E.M., & Hiebl, M.R. (2015). Risk management in SMEs: a systematic review of available evidence. The Journal of Risk Finance, 16(2), 122-144.

Famiwole, R. O., Lawal, O. I., & Mohammed, D.I. (2014). Enterpreneurial skills required by youths for watermelon (citrullus lanatus) production: a panacea to unemployment challenges in Ondo State, Nigeria. Journal of Emerging Trends in Educational Research and Policy Studies, 5(3), 330-334.

Franco, M., & Matos, P.G. (2015). Leadership styles in SMEs: A mixed-method approach. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 11(2), 425-451.

Franco, M., de Fátima Santos, M., Ramalho, I., & Nunes, C. (2014). An exploratory study of entrepreneurial marketing in SMEs: The role of the founder-entrepreneur. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 21(2), 265-283.

Frederick, H. H., Kuratko, D. F., & O'Connor, A. (2015). Entrepreneurship: Theory/Process/Practice with Student Resource Access for 12 Months. Australia: Cengage.

Furlan, A., Grandinetti, R., & Paggiaro, A. (2014). Unveiling the growth process: entrepreneurial growth and the use of external resources. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 20(1), 20-41.

Garwe, D., & Olawale, F. (2010). Obstacles to the growth of new SMEs in South Africa: A principal component analysis approach. African Journal of Business management, 4(5), 729-738.

Goffee, R., & Scase, R. (2015). Corporate Realities (Routledge Revivals): The Dynamics of Large and Small Organisations. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Gough, K. V., & Langevang, T. (Eds.). 2016. Young entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

Gumboh, J., & Gichira, R. (2015). Supply chain collaboration among SMEs in Kenya: A review of collaboration barriers. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 5(9), 2-5.

Hair, J. F., Wolfinbarger, M., Money, A. H., Samouel, P., & Page, M. J. (2015). Essentials of Business research Methods. Abingdon: Routledge.

Haldma, T., Näsi, S., Grossi, G., Hernaus, T., Bach, M P., & Vukšić, V.B. (2012). Influence of strategic approach to BPM on financial and non‐financial performance. Baltic Journal of Management, 7(4), 376-396.

Hastings, G. (2016). Marketing as if people mattered. Social Business, 6(1), 5-14.

Heo, M., Kim, N., & Faith, M. S. (2015). Statistical power as a function of Cronbach alpha of instrument questionnaire items. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 15(1), 86.

Hidalgo, A., & D'Alvano, L. (2014). Service innovation: Inward and outward related activities and cooperation mode. Journal of Business Research, 67(5), 698-703.

Hughes, M., & Morgan, R. E. (2007). Deconstructing the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and business performance at the embryonic stage of firm growth. Industrial marketing management, 36(5), 651-661.

Jobber, D., & Lancaster, G. (2015). Selling and Sales Management (10th ed.). UK: Pearson Higher Ed.

Julien, P.A. (2018). The state of the art in small business and entrepreneurship. Abingdon: Routledge.

Junge, M., Severgnini, B., & Sørensen, A. (2016). Product‐marketing innovation, skills, and firm productivity growth. Review of Income and Wealth, 62(4), 724-757.

Kallmuenzer, A., & Peters, M. 2017. Exploring entrepreneurial orientation in family firms: the relevance of social embeddedness in competition. International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 30(2), 191-213.

Khan, M. W. J., Khalique, M., & Nor, R. M. (2014). Exploring the measurements of organizational performance: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) perspective. Market Forces, 9(2), 31-29.

Kothari, C. R. (2017). Research Methodology methods and techniques (2nd ed.). New Delhi: New Age International Publisher.

Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. (2010). Principles of Marketing. Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.

Krush, M.T., Sohi, R.S., & Saini, A. (2015). Dispersion of marketing capabilities: impact on marketing’s influence and business unit outcomes. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 32-51.

Kuang-Jung, C., Mei-Liang, C., Chu-Mei, L., & Chien-Jung, H. (2015). Integrated marketing communication, collaborative marketing, and global brand building in Taiwan. International Journal of Organizational Innovation, 7(4), 99-107.

Lam, W., & Harker, M. J. (2015). Marketing and entrepreneurship: An integrated view from the entrepreneur’s perspective. International Small Business Journal, 33(3), 321-348.

Lodish, L. M., Morgan, H. L., Archambeau, S., & Babin, J. (2015). Marketing that works: how entrepreneurial marketing can add sustainable value to any sized company. London: Pearson Education.

Luxton, S., Reid, M., & Mavondo, F. (2015). Integrated marketing communication capability and brand performance. Journal of Advertising, 44(1), 37-46.

Manai, A., & Holmlund, M. (2015). Self-marketing brand skills for business students. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 33(5), 749-762.

Mason, M. C., Floreani, J., Miani, S., Beltrame, F., & Cappelletto, R. (2015). Understanding the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on SMEs’ performance. The role of the financing structure. Procedia Economics and Finance, 23, 1649-1661.

Miles, M., Gilmore, A., Harrigan, P., Lewis, G., & Sethna, Z. (2015). Exploring entrepreneurial marketing. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 23(2), 94-111.

Muriithi, S. M. (2017). African small and medium enterprises (SMEs) contributions, challenges and solutions. European Journal of Research and Reflection in Management Sciences, 5(1), 36-48.

Mutalemwa, D. K. (2015). Does globalisation impact SME development in Africa? African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 6(2), 164-182.

NESTA (2011). Barriers to Growth: The Views of High-Growth and Potential High-Growth Businesses. NESTA (UK)

Ngoasong, M., Paton, R., & Korda, A. (2015). Impact investing and inclusive business development in Africa: A research agenda.IKD Working Paper No. 76. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom.

Nijssen, E. J. (2017). Entrepreneurial marketing: an effectual approach. Abingdon: Routledge.

Olaru, M., Pirnea, I. C., Hohan, A., & Maftei, M. (2014). Performance indicators used by SMEs in Romania, related to integrated management systems. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 109, 949-953.

Page, J., & Söderbom, M. (2015). Is small beautiful? Small enterprise, aid and employment in Africa. African Development Review, 27(S1), 44-55.

Pato, M. L., & Teixeira, A.A. (2016). Twenty years of rural entrepreneurship: A bibliometric survey. Sociologia Ruralis, 56(1), 3-28.

Prajogo, D.I., & Oke, A. (2016). Human capital, service innovation advantage, and business performance. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 36(9),974-994.

Prieto, I. M., & Revilla, E. (2006). Learning capability and business performance: a non‐financial and financial assessment. The Learning Organization, 13(2), 166-185.

Resnick, S. M., Cheng, R., Simpson, M., & Lourenço, F. (2016). Marketing in SMEs: A “4Ps” self-branding model. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 22(1), 155-174.

Rogerson, C. M. (2018). Towards pro-poor local economic development: the case for sectoral targeting in South Africa. In E. L. Nel, & C. M. Rogerson (Eds.), Local Economic Development in the Changing World (pp. 75-100). Abingdon: Routledge.

Roylance, D. (2016). Purchasing performance: Measuring, marketing and selling the purchasing function. Abingdon: Routledge.

Royle, J., & Laing, A. (2014). The digital marketing skills gap: Developing a Digital Marketer Model for the communication industries. International Journal of Information Management, 34(2), 65-73.

Saasongu, N. (2015). Effects of leadership style on organizational performance in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria. International Journal of Research in Management & Business Studies, 2(2), 23-30.

Saunders, M. N., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2015). Research Methods for Business Students EBook. Melbourne: Pearson

Sharma, R. K., & Kharub, M. (2015). Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of barriers hindering the growth of MSMEs. International Journal of Business Excellence, 8(6), 724-747.

Siebu, S. (2019). Impact of Social Media Advertising on the Profitability of SMEs in Ghana's Retail Industry. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Ghana].

Sinan, A., & Alkan, B. B. (2015). A useful approach to identify the multicollinearity in the presence of outliers. Journal of Applied Statistics, 42(5), 986-993.

Smith, J., Lang, T., Vorley, B., & Barling, D. (2016). Addressing policy challenges for more sustainable local–global food chains: Policy frameworks and possible food “futures”. Sustainability, 8(4), 299.

Tan, Q., & Sousa, C. M. (2015). Leveraging marketing capabilities into competitive advantage and export performance. International Marketing Review, 32(1), 78-102.

Tehseen, S., & Ramayah, T. (2015). Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs business success: The contingent role of external integration. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 50.

Toghraee, M. T., Rezvani, M., Mobaraki, M. H., & Farsi, J. Y. (2017). A systematic review on entrepreneurial marketing: Three Decade research on entrepreneurial marketing. International Journal of Applied Business and Economic Research, 15(8), 273-296.

Trequattrini, R., Lombardi, R., Lardo, A., & Cuozzo, B. (2018). The impact of entrepreneurial universities on regional growth: a local intellectual capital perspective. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 9(1), 199-211.

Tukker, A., & Tischner, U. (Eds.). (2017). New business for old Europe: product-service development, competitiveness and sustainability. Abingdon: Routledge.

Vernuccio, M., & Ceccotti, F. (2015). Strategic and organisational challenges in the integrated marketing communication paradigm shift: A holistic vision. European Management Journal, 33(6), 438-449.

Whalen, P. S., & Akaka, M. A. (2016). A dynamic market conceptualization for entrepreneurial marketing: the co-creation of opportunities. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 24(1), 61-75.

Wind, Y. J. (2015). Challenging the mental models of marketing. In Jagdish N. Sheth & Rajendra S. Sisodia (Eds.), Does Marketing Need Reform? Fresh Perspectives on the Future: Fresh Perspectives on the Future (pp. 91-104). Abingdon: Routledge.

Yu, H., Jiang, S., & Land, K .C. (2015). Multicollinearity in hierarchical linear models. Social Science Research, 53, 118-136.

Published

2021-08-12

How to Cite

Ayiku, A. ., & Grant, E. S. (2021). Entrepreneurial Marketing Skills and Small-Scale Business Performance: The Case of Ghana. Journal of Comparative International Management, 24(1), 43–60. Retrieved from https://journals.lib.unb.ca/index.php/JCIM/article/view/32531

Issue

Section

RESEARCH ARTICLES