دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی جهت گیری استراتژیک چندگانه و عملکرد برند شرکت های کوچک و متوسط B2B - امرالد 2017

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to learn how strategic hybrid orientation – constructed from brand and market orientations – is related to the brand awareness, brand credibility, and financial performance of business-to-business (B2B) small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire was used in a survey to collect data from 250 Finnish B2B SMEs. The sampled firms were categorized into four clusters according to a two-by-two matrix, and their relationships with the brand performance outcomes were examined using one-way ANOVA and multiple regression. Findings – The results indicate that strategic hybrid orientation is positively related to all three dimensions of brand performance, showing that two dissimilar orientations can complement each other in improving brand performance outcomes. However, the strength of complementary interaction seems to vary depending on the degree to which brand- and market-oriented attributes dominate in a firm’s strategy. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to provide empirical evidence to support the concept of strategic hybrid orientation for branding in B2B SMEs. This study aims to contribute to existing research on SME branding by capitalizing on B2B branding and strategic management literatures.

Limitations and future research recommendations

This study comes with limitations. First, responses were collected from one person in each firm. This method may lead to key informant bias (Kumar et al., 1993). This needs to be acknowledged even if preference was given to senior managers as respondents with the assumption that their knowledgeability would limit this problem. Second, the response rate was relatively low but comparable to that of other similar studies. Moreover, the data were collected from a small open economy, which may affect the findings. Future research could replicate this study by obtaining responses on independent variables from industrial suppliers and dependent variables from their customers in order to have a more realistic view. It would also be interesting to examine and compare how strategic hybrid orientation and brand performances are interrelated in B2B SMEs operating in developing and developed economies, and in manufacturing and services sectors. Future studies may also study other strategic orientations as well (e.g. entrepreneurial and technology orientations). Finally, this study would recommend that other B2B brand performance measures (e.g. brand loyalty, brand personality, and brand quality) are examined in order to develop a more holistic understanding of the significance of strategic hybrid orientation.