Evaluating competitive advantage priorities of SMEs in Jordan

The current climate that Jordanian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face is quite fierce. Organisations in competing with products imported from Far East with fewer defects and lower prices are facing a life-or-death situation. In order to survive, it is vital that awareness on competitive advantage priorities should be made which gives managers a comprehensive evaluation tool that highlights how their companies are competing. The paper identifies and evaluates competitive advantage priorities based on the paradigms provided by the literature on competitive strategy and the perceptions of SMEs managers through a developed survey. The study reveals that cost, quality and delivery are the most important priorities among Jordanian SMEs. Also, the paper finds significant differences in the level of ranking in favour of those companies with higher percentage of exports to international markets which indicate that export-oriented companies are keener on improving their competitive priorities than those targeting local market.