The Moderating Effect of Perceived Effectiveness of SMEs' Marketing Function on the Network Ties—Strategic Adaptiveness Relationship^*

* The authors acknowledge and greatly appreciate the constructive comments and suggestions provided by the editor and the three anonymous reviewers. We would like to also acknowledge the invaluable comments from Dr. Alan Watkins on our manuscript.

Abstract

This study examines the critical role of perceived effectiveness of the Marketing function (MF) in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in leveraging entrepreneurial network ties to improve strategic adaptiveness (SA). The study tests whether a MF perceived as effective by SMEs’ managers/owners moderates the relationship between SMEs network ties and SA required for improved performance. Findings of a moderated regression analysis on a sample of 263 Croatian SMEs indicate that network ties contribute significantly to their SA, and that a MF perceived as effective only moderates the impact of customer and competitor ties on SMEs’ SA. Research and practical implications are discussed.

* The authors acknowledge and greatly appreciate the constructive comments and suggestions provided by the editor and the three anonymous reviewers. We would like to also acknowledge the invaluable comments from Dr. Alan Watkins on our manuscript.

* The authors acknowledge and greatly appreciate the constructive comments and suggestions provided by the editor and the three anonymous reviewers. We would like to also acknowledge the invaluable comments from Dr. Alan Watkins on our manuscript.

Notes

* The authors acknowledge and greatly appreciate the constructive comments and suggestions provided by the editor and the three anonymous reviewers. We would like to also acknowledge the invaluable comments from Dr. Alan Watkins on our manuscript.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Richard Benon‐be‐isan Nyuur

Richard Benon‐be‐isan Nyuur is a Senior Lecturer in Strategic Management and International Business in the Newcastle Business School at Northumbria University, UK.

Ružica Brečić

Ružica Brečić is an Assistant Professor of Marketing in the Marketing Department, Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.

Antonis Simintiras

Antonis Simintiras is Research Professor of Marketing in the School of Management at Swansea University, UK, and in the College of Business Administration at the Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Kuwait.