Networking in SMEs: Evaluating its contribution to marketing activity

This paper examines the networking activities of SME owner/managers within a food distribution channel, and considers them in relation to the marketing decisions made in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The study period coincided with dynamic changes within a UK regional market resulting fro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	International business review 2006-06, Vol.15 (3), p.278-293
Main Authors:	Gilmore, Audrey, Carson, David, Rocks, Steve
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Decision making Decision-making Marketing activities Networking Marketing Distribution channel Distribution Distribution channel Marketing Marketing activities Networking Networks Small and medium sized enterprises United Kingdom
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	This paper examines the networking activities of SME owner/managers within a food distribution channel, and considers them in relation to the marketing decisions made in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The study period coincided with dynamic changes within a UK regional market resulting from the market entry of multinational supermarket companies. Research findings show that there was wide variation in the extent of networking and marketing carried out by the SME owner/managers working within this channel. However, the level of marketing-led decision-making by each SME owner/manager was related to the level of networking, whereby an SME owner/manager who was proactively networking and utilising his/her marketing network displayed a more sophisticated level of marketing-led decision-making. These findings are the result of a 2 year in-depth qualitative study of 12 SME owner/managers working within the same channel.
ISSN:	0969-5931 1873-6149