Abstract
Expanding and maintaining the number of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) is directly related to sustainable economic, social, and individual development. However, SMEs are vulnerable to competition. Thus, this study focusses on the analysis of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as an antecedent of integrated marketing communications’ (IMC) successful implementation directed at improving SMEs’ performance, with additional focus on the institutional inter-country context. Considering the role of owner-managers in SMEs, analysis of the gender gap is also applied. The data from 315 managers’ surveys (in Spain and Belarus) is analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results show a positive relationship between EO, IMC, and performance among SMEs in both markets. However, these connections are significantly stronger in the case of male, rather than female managers in a developed market (Spain). There is no gender gap in an emerging market (Belarus). Moreover, and conversely, in a developing market, the EO-IMC-performance relations are more intensive when the manager is female. Further implementations are provided for practitioners and government organizations with a focus on the gender gap and inter-country differences.
Highlights
IntroductionSustainability research is a widely discussed topic, with the focus on what should be sustained (environmental issues), which areas should be developed (the economy and society), and how it can be maintained (sustainable strategies) [1,2,3,4]
Sustainability research is a widely discussed topic, with the focus on what should be sustained, which areas should be developed, and how it can be maintained [1,2,3,4]
This research has valuable theoretical and practical contributions to make to the study of marketing, entrepreneurship, and sustainability topics with a specific focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), gender issues, and inter-country context
Summary
Sustainability research is a widely discussed topic, with the focus on what should be sustained (environmental issues), which areas should be developed (the economy and society), and how it can be maintained (sustainable strategies) [1,2,3,4]. Competition in the dynamic market is harmful to SMEs because they are limited in their tangible resources [10] Depending on their resources and competencies, firms develop the strength to gain competitive advantage and enhance their performance, but their lack of resources questions the sustainability of SMEs. to survive in the market against larger rivals, SMEs should focus more on intangible resources, competences, and dynamic capabilities [11]. In comparison with the ordinary ones, underline the need for information acquisition, utilization, and constant transformation to address the environmental threats of an uncertain market [9]. In this situation, less formalized SMEs are capable of responding to environmental changes in a more agile way [12]
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