Marketing capability development through networking - An entrepreneurial marketing perspective

How are marketing capabilities developed in SMEs? Drawing upon the entrepreneurial marketing perspective, this article explores how small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop their marketing capabilities. Using an in-depth qualitative study of SME entrepreneurs from a small open developed economy, we find that entrepreneurial networking plays a significant role in how SMEs develop specialized, cross-functional and dynamic marketing capabilities which are integral to their growth and competitiveness. We identify the type of resource interaction processes entrepreneurs engage in with actors in their network to generate and deliver market value. SMEs in this study wholly depend upon entrepreneurial networking for accessing key informational, relational, reputational, and knowledge resources to develop their marketing capabilities. Our findings further elucidate that the type of entrepreneurial networking in this study is one that exhibits entrepreneurial marketing behavior, yet, is more strategic and deliberate in nature rather than effectual. This study advances the entrepreneurial marketing and marketing capabilities literatures by assigning greater theoretical and empirical credence to the under-explored role of entrepreneurial networking in marketing capability development in SMEs.

Automated summary

This article outlines how small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) develop their marketing capabilities based on the entrepreneurial marketing perspective. Through an in-depth qualitative study of SME entrepreneurs in a small open developed economy, it is found that entrepreneurial networking plays a significant role in the development of specialized, cross-functional, and dynamic marketing capabilities. The study highlights the importance of entrepreneurial networking for SMEs to access key resources and further advances the understanding of the role it plays in marketing capability development.