IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rnd/arimbr/v15y2023i2p152-172.html

4th Industry Revolution Digital Marketing Adoption Challenges in SMEs and its Effect on Customer Responsiveness

Author

Listed:
  • Shee Mun Yong

Abstract

4th industrial revolution of cyber-physical technologies (4IR) intersecting digital technologies and entrepreneurship serves as an external stimulus in fostering a new method of venture creation transforming customers’ purchasing and consuming behavior. Large corporations are leading in leveraging on 4IR digital marketing for their marketing strategy but SMEs are lacking behind. This study explores the conundrum using an exploratory sequential mixed method. Semi-structured interviews were carried out on a sample selected using non-probability purposive sampling and determined through attaining thematic saturation of discursive patterns. Scale development for quantitative instruments performed using SPSS statistical software. A quantitative study was carried out on a sample size of 153 SME respondents. Analysis was undertaken by paired-sample T-test. Kuskal-Wallis H test and Spearman’s rho correlation test due to the nonparametric nature of data distribution. The outcome reveals that although SMEs are increasingly reliant on DM for their marketing strategy, most of these SMEs are only willing to invest in building low-level DM capability citing a lack of financial budget, inadequate technology infrastructure to support such setup, cyber security issues and lack of DM knowledge. Financial budget and technology infrastructure are considered the most critical concerns by SMEs with low and moderate DM adoption. However, these concerns are less pronounced in SMEs with high DM adoption. Finally, the weak but significant correlation between SMEs’ DM adoption and customer responsiveness infers the significant role of 4IR technology as an enabler of digital marketing strategy that also depends on other critical contributing factors such as price and quality

Suggested Citation

  • Shee Mun Yong, 2023. "4th Industry Revolution Digital Marketing Adoption Challenges in SMEs and its Effect on Customer Responsiveness," Information Management and Business Review, AMH International, vol. 15(2), pages 152-172.
    • Handle: RePEc:rnd:arimbr:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:152-172
    DOI: 10.22610/imbr.v15i2(I)SI.3429
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/imbr/article/view/3429/2180
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/imbr/article/view/3429
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22610/imbr.v15i2(I)SI.3429?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. David Byrne, 2022. "A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1391-1412, June.
    2. Philip Alford & Stephen John Page, 2015. "Marketing technology for adoption by small business," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(11-12), pages 655-669, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dwivedi, Abhishek & Pawsey, Nicholas, 2023. "Examining the drivers of marketing innovation in SMEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 155(PB).
    2. Asanda Rose-Mary Nesindande & Musawenkosi Donia Saurombe & Renjini Mary Joseph, 2025. "Exploring a Digital Banking Talent Management Framework at a Banking Institution in South Africa," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(2), pages 21582440251, May.
    3. Victoria H Davis & Katie N Dainty & Irfan A Dhalla & Kathleen A Sheehan & Brian M Wong & Andrew D Pinto, 2023. "“Addressing the bigger picture”: A qualitative study of internal medicine patients’ perspectives on social needs data collection and use," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(6), pages 1-21, June.
    4. Flourensia Sapty Rahayu & Lukito Edi Nugroho & Ridi Ferdiana & Djoko Budiyanto Setyohadi, 2022. "Motivation and Engagement of Final-Year Students When Using E-learning: A Qualitative Study of Gamification in Pandemic Situation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-22, July.
    5. repec:bjc:journl:v:12:y:2025:i:67:p:2209-2222 is not listed on IDEAS
    6. Meina Feng & Muhammad Noor Bin Abdul Aziz & Syarizan Dalib, 2025. "Exploring Intercultural Communicative Competence Among Chinese Students: Insights from a Qualitative Study," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(2), pages 21582440251, May.
    7. Hamid Etemad, 2025. "Re-strategizing frameworks: SMEs’ search for optimal performance strategies when facing challenges of instability, global change, and emerging restrictions," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 23(2), pages 245-271, June.
    8. Clifton, Julian & Mánez, Kathleen Schwerdtner, 2025. "A framework based on payments for ecosystem services to support the delivery of high integrity carbon and biodiversity credits," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    9. Shibli, Haneen & Aharonson-Daniel, Limor & Daoud, Nihaya & Feder-Bubis, Paula, 2025. "Unpacking access barriers through the health providers' lens among the Arab Bedouin population in Israel," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 364(C).
    10. Yaser Mirzaei & Mehdi Ebrahimpour & Mohammad Giahi & Ahmad Karimi & Hamid Yari & Todd G. Morrison, 2025. "A Qualitative Examination of Contextually Insecure Diasporic Iranian Masculinities," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(3), pages 21582440251, July.
    11. Agarwala, Rashi & Satyanarayana, Krishna & Chandrashekar, Deepak & Srinivasan, R., 2025. "How does a digital business-to-business platform transform logistics management in manufacturing firms? – An examination," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    12. Thanavutd Chutiphongdech & Peera Tangtammaruk & Aritat Aksorntap & Samkhumpha Tovara & Supaporn Daengmeesee & Nattapon Siwareepan, 2025. "Sport event hosting and provincial economic growth: Evidence from the Bangsaen21 Half Marathon in Thailand," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Aslam, Usman & Davis, Leon, 2024. "Analyzing consumer expectations and experiences of Augmented Reality (AR) apps in the fashion retail sector," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    14. Yu, Jie & Liu, Yue & Zhao, Jing, 2024. "Tailoring age-friendly technology-enabled transportation service solutions in rural communities," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    15. Michaelidou, Nina & Kostopoulos, Ioannis & Lowe, Emily, 2026. "The dawn of ‘deinfluencing’ as a vehicle for moral responsibility and anti-consumption," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    16. Tesfahun Alemayehu Terrefe, 2025. "Toward Co‐Production of Child Welfare Services With Immigrant Parents: Insights Into Enabling and Constraining Factors," Social Inclusion, Cogitatio Press, vol. 13.
    17. Paul Marshall & Steven Jones & Patricia Gooding & Heather Robinson & Fiona Lobban, 2022. "Caring for a Family Member with Psychosis or Bipolar Disorder Who Has Experienced Suicidal Behaviour: An Exploratory Qualitative Study of an Online Peer-Support Forum," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-14, November.
    18. Page, Stephen J. & Hartwell, Heather & Johns, Nick & Fyall, Alan & Ladkin, Adele & Hemingway, Ann, 2017. "Case study: Wellness, tourism and small business development in a UK coastal resort: Public engagement in practice," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 466-477.
    19. Qiuyue Cho-Li & Yuxuan Jin & Spiro Kiousis, 2025. "Borrowing a mouth to speak? Foreign content creators in China’s national image building," Place Branding and Public Diplomacy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(4), pages 412-426, December.
    20. Wallin, Linda & Lundqvist, Ulrika & Svedin, Carl-Göran & Dennhag, Inga, 2024. "“Longing to be cared about and cared for” Exploring Experiences of Trauma Therapy and Views on Future Trauma Therapy (Including Digital) for Young People in Rural Northern Sweden," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    21. Patsouras, Maree & Caluzzi, Gabriel & Wright, Cassandra J.C. & Kuntsche, Emmanuel & MacLean, Sarah & Kuntsche, Sandra, 2026. "Hegemonic femininity, motherhood, and alcohol in Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 389(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rnd:arimbr:v:15:y:2023:i:2:p:152-172. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Muhammad Tayyab (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://ojs.amhinternational.com/index.php/imbr .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.