SME Marketing Networking: A Strategic Approach during COVID-19
This is my pleasure to present my dissertation for the completion of the MBA program at Bangladesh University of Professionals, entitled “SME Marketing Networking: A Strategic Approach during COVID-19”. I have tried my best to portray an analysis of the influence of marketing networks on SMEs, especially in times like COVID-19.
Purpose of this study
In this study, I have tried to explore how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) use their strategic marketing networks to do business during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic that came to our country in early 2020, impacted businesses of all sizes and in all industries. Some industries have shown resilience against the economic downturn that came with the global health crisis. But, most SME entrepreneurs have found themselves in the “new normal” environments. The strongest impact of COVID-19 has been on human health and the perception of human health. Bangladesh like most other countries has adopted social distancing in order to reduce human-to-human transmission of COVID-19. This measure has led to lockdowns, reductions in consumption, and the elimination of businesses.
In this situation, strategic marketing networking for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should help increase the likelihood of overcoming the impact of the pandemic since SMEs have been badly hit financially due to their limited resources and expertise.
Research objectives
- To determine the SME marketing network structure
- To understand the role of SME marketing networking during COVID-19
- To explore the phenomenon of recovering from economic hardship through networking by SMEs
Please check the below PDF for complete research findings, discussions, and implications.
More research is needed to critically examine the robustness of the proposed theoretical framework in different growth stages of SMEs as well as a different timeline of the pandemic. Another ground for future research would be to examine how the characteristics of growth factors and innovation influence the role of network relationships.
