Authors : Shariff M. Haniff, Mohd Suberi Ab Halim and Arman Hadi Abdul Manaf
Abstract: This study discusses the role of entrepreneurial behavior and its influence on the marketing capabilities and the marketing performance of SMEs in the food and beverage industry in Malaysia. Our understanding of the entrepreneurship process is significantly handicapped upon discounting the role of the individual entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs believe that they are better informed than others and thus they exploit their supposed informational advantage in pursuit of profitable opportunities. We aim to explain this phenomenon within the domestic level. We selected 243 medium-size food and beverages manufacturing firms throughout Malaysia as respondents for this study. Data collection was conducted through a structured questionnaire survey directed to the CEOs/owner-managers, general manager, marketing/sales managers and production/operation managers of each firm. Hierarchical regression was employed to test the role of entrepreneurial behavior in influencing marketing capabilities and marketing performance. Entrepreneurial behavior was found to have the greatest positive advantage on innovativeness than on risk-taking and proactiveness. The emphasis on innovativeness from the MSFBMF perspective appears to be the most important entrepreneurial behavior component. This factor aids in enhancing the marketing performance through capabilities of the firm. The findings of this study strengthen the notion that owner-managers who possess an entrepreneurial nature (innovative, proactive and risk taker) would benefit by developing strong market-driven capabilities in market intelligence gathering and dissemination.
Shariff M. Haniff, Mohd Suberi Ab Halim and Arman Hadi Abdul Manaf, 2016. Moderating Effects of Entrepreneurial Behavior on the Relationship Between Marketing Capabilities and Marketing Performance of Food and Beverage Industry Smes in Malaysia. International Business Management, 10: 2474-2482.