The Impact Of Organizational Objectives On The Selection Of Defensive Marketing Strategies: Empirical Evidence From A Small Open Economy

Abstract

<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span><p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt; text-align: justify; mso-pagination: none;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Defensive Marketing Strategies (DMSs) do not receive enough attention as offensive or attacking marketing strategies in literature.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gap in the </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">research constitutes a serious weakness in the marketing field</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">.</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This paper aims to fill this gap in literature by conducting the first study to explore the determinants of the implemented DMSs in Kuwait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Empirically, this study examines the relationship between eight DMSs, demographics, and organizational objectives to define the most prevalent and appropriate DMSs to be deployed in the small open economy of Kuwait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Factor analysis and canonical correlation are used in this study to analyse the obtained data from surveyed board members, CEOs and executive managers of listed companies in the financial sector of Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Results reveal a significant relationship between the eight DMSs and the two sets of identified variables in Kuwait context.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cost leadership strategy ranked the most effective defensive marketing strategy by respondents. Also, results show that organizational objectives are mostly affecting the choice of DMSs. </span></span></p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"> </span>