Entrepreneurship has been generally recognized as one of the most important dynamics leading to development. However, promoting entrepreneurship depends on an enabling business climate. The study sought to explore the effect of legal and regulatory frameworks on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) growth in Ghana. The study was quantitative and primary data comprised 382 owners who were conveniently sampled for the study. The results were analysed using structural equation model-partial least square. Bureaucracy, unstable policy climate, unfriendly customs and trade regulations, tight monetary and credit policies, corruption, and excessive tax regimes, workforce and labour regulations were found to negatively affect SMEs growth in Ghana. It is concluded that for SMEs growth to thrive, sound legal and regulatory systems are needed. The government must create relaxed credit policies that support the development of entrepreneurship by simplifying loan conditions, ease the registration processes for SMEs, lower and reform the tax systems, engineer effective price stabilization policy and create flexible customs and port regulations, while maintaining transparency and accountability among public officials in charge of SMEs regulation. The study adds to the few works conducted in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Ghana. The new empirical insights are significant to SME and entrepreneurship development in Ghana.

Purpose Using a multinational corporation (MNC), Nestlé Ghana Limited (NGL) that operates in a developing economy (Ghana) as a case study, this paper aims to examine the influence of customers’ CSR awareness level and their perception of NGL’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) motives on the firm’s non-financial performance (image and reputation). Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach, using questionnaires and simple random sampling method, was used to survey 300 customers. Structural equation model-partial least square (SEM-PLS) was used to analyse the data. Findings The results show that customers’ CSR awareness levels have a positive impact on NGL’s image and reputation. In contrast, the study revealed that customers’ perception of NGL’s CSR motives has a negative impact on NGL’s image and reputation. Practical implications NGL should maintain a balance between customers’ perception of its CSR motives and its image and reputation to project the firm’s CSR position as posted in the firm’s create shared value report. Originality/value The study is one of the few studies in sub-Saharan Africa, and especially in Ghana, about how an MNC’s CSR engagements influence its image and reputation in a developing economy context. It further makes a contribution to CSR literature in Ghana.

One of the problem areas in marketing of great practical and theoretical significance about which much remains to be learned is the nature of market response to a firm's marketing mix. Marketers are therefore concerned about the coordination between communications and their sales and the expenses thereof. This study sought to examine the relationships existing between marketing communications activities and the sales performance of Vodafone. The study also made use of simple statistical tools such as tables, graphs, together with multiple regression analysis to determine the degree of variation between the dependent (sales volume) and independent variable (communication tools). The results indicated strong relationships between sales promotion, advertising budgets and total sales. There was however an inverse relationship between TV advertisements and sales. In addition, a negative relationship was also found to exist between sponsorship budget and total sales. The outcome indicates that Vodafone was not paying much attention to its total communication costs and the return on investment (ROI) on such expenditures. It is recommended therefore that management and other marketers in the industry regularly evaluate the marketing communications activities they engage in as this will inform them on how effective their communications activities are and what returns to expect on these marketing communications activities

Incremental innovation has been recognised as a key factor to SMEs’ survival and growth in today’s hyper-competitive business world. Notwithstanding this inspired recognition, analytical and empirical studies on SMEs’ incremental innovation practices are still measly in emerging economies. Drawing from the dynamic capabilities theory, the present study sought to examine SMEs’ incremental innovation practices in Accra, Ghana. The study followed a multiple-case qualitative methodology using a semi-structured interview and a simple random sampling method to select 17 SMEs for the study while an inductive approach was used to analyse the transcribed data from the informants. The findings disclosed that the incremental innovation propensity and innovation types in the SMEs differ from small firms to medium firms and from manufacturing firms to service firms. It was further disclosed that the incremental innovation practices have improved the performance of the SMEs in terms of increased customer satisfaction and loyalty, sales growth, competitiveness, and global market reach, while their paramount innovation management challenges were lack of financial resources, infrastructure, specialized personnel, and information on technology. These findings add to SMEs theory and practice and offer novel theoretical insights for researchers and valuable managerial implications for SMEs’ managers in emerging economies.

Purpose Integrating the social exchange and resource dependency theories, the study aims to comparatively examine the supplier relationship management (SRM) dimensions and organizational performance links of private and public hospitals in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Comparative in nature; employing a quantitative approach; and using simple random and convenience sampling techniques, the study tested the proposed hypotheses using structural equation model-partial least square based on 205 usable questionnaires. Partial least square-multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA) was performed to test the significance of the difference in the parameters between the two samples: private and public hospitals in Ghana. Findings The dimensions of SRM (communication, cooperation, trust, atmosphere and adaptation) have a significant, positive impact on private hospitals’ performance in Ghana. Similarly, communication and trust were found to be positively and significantly correlated to public hospitals’ performance. In contrast, cooperation, atmosphere and adaptation dimensions showed no significant, positive effect on public hospitals’ performance. PLS-MGA disclosed that these observed differences in the findings between the private and public hospitals in Ghana are statistically significant. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study, while limited to hospitals in Ghana, are likely to be relevant in other emerging economies for effective and enhanced supply chain relationship management. Practical implications The findings provide pragmatic insights for marketing practitioners and organizational leaders of hospitals about the significance of SRM dimensions in today’s globalized marketplace, and how to nurture them to enhance organizational performance. Originality/value The value of the study lies in the examination of the relationship between SRM and organizational performance in the health sector by comparing private and public hospitals in an emerging economy context.