Marketing and business performance of construction SMEs in China

Purpose – This study aims to examine the association between a number of variables pertaining to marketing strategy and business performance of small construction firms in Tianjin, China.Design/methodology/approach – The paper consists of a qualitative pilot study and a quantitative main survey.Findings – Long‐term differentiation marketing strategy, research and development (R&D) as a percentage of sales, and years in business are found to be positively associated with a small firm's business performance. Current product focus, government policy, quality and availability of services, conducting regular market research, firm's registered capital and employee number, being a supplier to a few large firms, and having a few regular suppliers are not found to be significantly associated with business performance.Research limitations/implications – The study has possible location and industry‐specific limitations.Practical implications – Managerially, the findings encourage small Chinese firms to adopt a long‐...

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