Competitor orientation and SME performance in competitive environments: the moderating effect of marketing ethics

Abstract

Purpose Although competitor orientation (CO) has been given great attention, its link to firm performance (FP) is still unclear. The reason behind this may be attributed to the fact that the CO–FP relationship depends on several contingencies. The purpose of this paper is to simultaneously explore the separate and combined moderating effects of marketing ethics (ME) and competitive intensity (CI) in the CO–FP relationship. Design/methodology/approach The participants in this study were managers or owners from 289 manufacturing SMEs located in two regions in Yemen (i.e. Sana’a and Taiz). Hierarchical regression analysis using PROCESS Macro V. 3.5 in SPSS was performed to analyze the data collected. Findings The obtained results reveal that ME in fact positively moderates the CO–FP relationship and, importantly, this effect is not influenced by CI. Practical implications The findings of this paper provide advantageous insights for managers and decision-makers for SMEs as it is expected that they demonstrate a greater commitment to the practice of ME in their firms. This has implications that with the practice of ME, it is expected that SMEs will be able to use the full potential of CO to improve their performance at a low level of CI. Originality/value This study contributes to widening the studies on CO, ME, CI and SMEs in a different context. In addition, it adds to the knowledge by exploring the combined moderating influence of internal (e.g. ME) and external factors (e.g. CI) when examining the CO–FP relationship.

Sustainable development‐oriented regulatory and competitive pressures to shift toward a circular economy: The role of environmental orientation and Industry 4.0 technologies

“…Furthermore, we incorporate RBT as a theoretical foundation to examine how environmentally oriented firms' adoption of I4.0 technologies helps enhance CE capabilities. In accordance with the RBT, an organization acquires and maintains a competitive edge through the development and utilization of valuable resources (Al-Hakimi et al, 2022;Khanra et al, 2022;Wernerfelt, 1984). As such, the…”

“…Furthermore, we incorporate RBT as a theoretical foundation to examine how environmentally oriented firms' adoption of I4.0 technologies helps enhance CE capabilities. In accordance with the RBT, an organization acquires and maintains a competitive edge through the development and utilization of valuable resources (Al‐Hakimi et al, 2022; Khanra et al, 2022; Wernerfelt, 1984). As such, the primary characteristics of the resources are that they are valuable and hard to duplicate (Al‐Hakimi, Saleh, & Borade, 2021; Barney, 1991), where the value makes the resources complex and unique.…”

How does consumer pressure affect green innovation of manufacturing SMEs in the presence of green human resource management and green values? A moderated mediation analysis

“…From the discussion, it is clear that the existing literature shows little attention to how SMEs manage green innovation (Singh et al, 2021). Needless to say, SMEs should possess relevant entrepreneurial skills (Al‐Hakimi & Borade, 2020; Goaill & Al‐Hakimi, 2021), be connected to external networks (Al‐Hakimi et al, 2022), and receive government assistance to grow (Veronica et al, 2020). However, there is a dearth of literature to provide guidance on how to proceed.…”

Improving operational performance of manufacturing SMEs: the interactive effect of technical and human lean practices

“…Recently, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have faced enormous pressures stemming from the competitive nature of the economic landscape in several countries, especially in less developed countries (LDCs) (Al-Hakimi et al, 2022;Belhadi et al, 2018), which prompted them to adopt the best practices in their industry to increase and sustain their level of operational performance (OP). The application of new best practices in manufacturing usually has outcomes of the expectation of some advantages in the form of improved operational performance (Arumugam et al, 2022;Perera and Perera, 2019;Sahoo, 2021).…”

“…Recently, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have faced enormous pressures stemming from the competitive nature of the economic landscape in several countries, especially in less developed countries (LDCs) (Al-Hakimi et al. , 2022; Belhadi et al.…”