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An institutional analysis of marketing practices of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

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  • Wai-Sum Siu

Abstract

This paper uses an institutional perspective to examine the interplay among government intervention, manufacturing systems and business approaches and its impacts upon the marketing activities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. An integrative approach, blending the narrative method and content analysis, is adopted to analyse 391 published news stories about Chinese owner-managers in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, and to disentangle the effects of environmental differences. SMEs in China, which come under strong government influence, carry out minimal planning in marketing and their marketing activities are implicit. They adopt a relation-oriented marketing approach and place emphasis on building relations with government agencies. Most SMEs in Hong Kong operate under the original equipment manufacturing systems and they tend to invest minimal amounts of time and money in marketing. SMEs in Hong Kong adopt a transaction-oriented marketing approach, place emphasis on pricing, product service and sales forecasts, and adapt promptly to market changes. Taiwanese SMEs operate in a politically constrained but economically free environment. They invest substantial amounts of time and money in marketing and fostering customer and dealer relations. Upgrading to the original brand manufacturing systems, Taiwanese SMEs develop their own brands and adapt their marketing plans explicitly and substantially in response to the specific marketing environment. Based on the research results, a tentative schema is proposed depicting the interplay and its impact on the marketing practices of Chinese SMEs.

Suggested Citation

  • Wai-Sum Siu, 2005. "An institutional analysis of marketing practices of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(1), pages 65-88, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:17:y:2005:i:1:p:65-88
    DOI: 10.1080/0898562052000330306
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Zoltán J. Ács (ed.), 1996. "Small Firms And Economic Growth," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, volume 0, number 524.
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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Changhong & Shi, Yulin & Wu, Cong & Wu, Zhenyu & Zheng, Li, 2016. "Policies of promoting entrepreneurship and Angel Investment: Evidence from China," Emerging Markets Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 154-167.
    2. Matthews, Russell S. & Chalmers, Dominic M. & Fraser, Simon S., 2018. "The intersection of entrepreneurship and selling: An interdisciplinary review, framework, and future research agenda," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 691-719.
    3. Gabriela Citlalli López-Torres & Gonzalo Maldonado Guzmán & Sandra Yesenia Pinzón Castro & Ricardo García Ramírez, 2016. "Collaboration and innovation activities in SMEs," Contaduría y Administración, Accounting and Management, vol. 61(3), pages 568-581, Julio-Sep.
    4. Zhou, Qingna & Gao, Ping & Chimhowu, Admos, 2019. "ICTs in the transformation of rural enterprises in China: A multi-layer perspective," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 12-23.
    5. Oparaocha, Gospel Onyema, 2015. "SMEs and international entrepreneurship: An institutional network perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 861-873.
    6. Hiu Kan Wong, Ada & Xinru Wu, Crystal & Whitla, Paul & Stanley Snell, Robin, 2022. "How LMX and marketing capabilities guide and motivate customer-facing employees’ learning," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 161-169.
    7. Mark Loon & Roy Chik, 2019. "Efficiency-centered, innovation-enabling business models of high tech SMEs: Evidence from Hong Kong," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(1), pages 87-111, March.
    8. Fenfang Lin & Wai-Sum Siu, 2020. "Exploring brand management strategies in Chinese manufacturing industry," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 27(1), pages 48-76, January.

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