Development through Competitive and Green marketing strategy: Manufacturing SMEs, operating in Jaffna district

Abstract

Small medium enterprises (SMEs) are often the driving forces and backbone for the Nation. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of marketing strategy on the SME development in Jaffna district. All the owners of manufacturing SMEs in Jaffna district were the population for this study and 302 managers were contacted for data collection. Data were collected by using questionnaires. Random sampling method was applied to select samples for this study. Structural equation method (SEM) was utilized to assess the impact of each dimension marketing strategy on the development of SMEs. Marketing strategy and development model derived from theories and models of earlier researches. The linkage of Marketing strategy with the development was created based on the resourced based and stakeholders underpinning theories. This study identified and confirmed two marketing strategy, namely competitive and green marketing strategy and five dimension of development of SMEs as financial, customer, employee, growth and social development perspectives. Mixed result were identified from the dimension of marketing strategy and development of SMEs. Competitive strategy had significant impact on financial, customer and growth perspective development. Green marketing strategy had significant effect on customer, employee and social development. Green marketing strategy also indirectly effects on financial and growth of SMEs through customer development. This research findings regarding competitive marketing strategy could help mangers of SMEs to gain competitive advantage and development. Green marketing strategy explains managers how this strategy affect directly and indirectly the development of organization. This finding induce the managers of SMEs to apply green marketing strategy to be successive in this competitive world. The paper can help managers in identifying the perspectives of development of SMEs in Jaffna district. This study establish five dimension of development rather than performance only.