Organizational and Managerial Activities in the Development Process of Successful SME Marketing Networks

The aim of this paper is to investigate how the development process of small and medium‐sized enterprise (SME) marketing networks is carried out, in terms of organizational and managerial activities, in successful networks compared to unsuccessful ones. In other words, this study investigates which activities are carried out in successful (compared to unsuccessful) SME marketing networks and how they are carried out. Although much attention has been focused on this phenomenon by both academics and practitioners, a high percentage of networks still fail. A qualitative approach based on multiple case studies allowed me to provide managers with a series of guidelines regarding the development process of successful SME marketing networks. The present study therefore represents a noteworthy academic contribution to marketing network theory and practice.