Explaining the impact of a customer-oriented strategy on the small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) global performance: Lessons from the Balanced Scorecard and the CUSTOR scale model

Abstract

Abstract This research aimed to explain the impact of a customer-oriented strategy on the small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) global performance. To do this, we proposed a modelling of this relation on the basis of the Balanced Scorecard and the CUSTOR scale model. A mixed methodology approach was used to validate our research model. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted among 25 SMEs Tunisian managers, which allowed us to develop and to study 25 verbatims by the content analysis method. Then, a PLS method was applied on data collected by a questionnaire from 137 managers of private SMEs of goods and service. Results showed that the financial axis of the global performance is affected by the customer intimacy and the continuous improvement of activity. The outcomes also reveal that the customer focus of global performance is affected by the customer intimacy, the customer retention and the business transparency. Moreover, the results reveal that the internal process axis of the global performance is only affected by the customer intimacy and the customer retention. These results also indicate that organizational learning is affected by customer retention, continuous improvement in activity and business transparency. In addition, our analyses highlighted a moderating effect of management’s commitment.