Title: Mediating the impact of innovation on the relationship between branding, organisational learning capability and SMEs performance

Authors: Muhammad Haroon Hafeez; Waheed Ali Umrani; Mohd Noor Mohd Shariff; Umair Ahmed; Uzma Haroon; T. Ramayah

Addresses: Institute of Management Sciences, BahauddinZakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan ' Department of Business Administration, Sukkur IBA University, Sukkur, Sindh, 65200, Pakistan ' School of Business Management, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, 06010, Malaysia ' Faculty of Business Studies, Arab Open University, A'ali, 18211, Bahrain ' Faculty of Commerce, Law and Business Administration, Bahauddin Zakariya University Multan, 60800, Pakistan ' School of Management, UniversitiSains Malaysia, Minden, Penang, 11700, Malaysia

Abstract: The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship between branding and SME performance as well as organisational learning capabilities and SME performance. In addition, the current study also examines the indirect effect of innovation on the branding-SME performance relationship and the organisational learning capabilities-SME performance relationship. Using a survey method, data was collected from SME owners/managers of the Sports Industry in Sialkot, Pakistan. The questionnaire was adopted from the literature. The method of data collection was self-administration and a total of 346 responses were collected. Our results show support for a direct relationship between branding and SME performance as well as organisational learning capabilities and SME performance. Additionally, results revealed that innovation mediates the relationships between branding and SME performance as well as organisational learning capabilities and SME performance. This paper extends the body of knowledge by providing empirical evidence in favour of resource based view (RBV) theory, under which we found support for the hypothesised relationships.

Keywords: RBV; resource based view; innovation; branding; organisational learning capability; SMEs performance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTGM.2022.128117

International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, 2022 Vol.16 No.1/2/3, pp.122 - 143

Received: 27 May 2020
Accepted: 04 Sep 2020
Published online: 06 Jan 2023 *

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