Marketing strategy and business performance : the case of small firms in China

This study investigates the effects of marketing-related variables on business performance of small firms in China. In this paper, we present the findings from a qualitative pilot study and a quantitative main survey. The results show that long-term differentiation marketing strategy, R&D as a percentage of sales, and years in business are positively associated with a small firm's business performance in China. These findings suggest that small Chinese firms should adopt long-term differentiation strategy by investing in new product development in order to better adapt to the more competitive environment following China's accession of WTO.9 page(s