Lean Marketing Adoption and Entrepreneurial Performance among Women-Owned SMEs in Abuja, Nigeria

Women-owned small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the Nigerian enterprise economy; however, resource constraints limit the extent to which their marketing efforts translate into performance. Lean marketing focuses on customer value, waste minimisation and ongoing improvement and could provide a resource-efficient route, but it has not been examined in this context. This study investigated the role of marketing capabilities in the relationship between lean marketing adoption and entrepreneurial performance of women-owned SMEs in Abuja, Nigeria. Based on the Resource-Based View and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among owner-managers of women-owned retail and service SMEs that have operated for at least two years, using purposive and snowball sampling. Of the 400 questionnaires distributed, 238 usable responses were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The measurement model was reliable and valid. Lean marketing adoption was positively associated with marketing capabilities (β = 0.612, p < 0.001) and entrepreneurial performance (β = 0.224, p = 0.002), while marketing capabilities were positively associated with entrepreneurial performance (β = 0.510, p < 0.001). The indirect effect was significant (β = 0.312, 95% CI [0.179, 0.445]), indicating complementary partial mediation; separately, the model explained 45.0% of the variance in entrepreneurial performance. The findings are consistent with marketing capabilities partially transmitting the link between lean marketing and entrepreneurial performance. Lean marketing training can thus be combined with marketing capability development for women entrepreneurs in resource-constrained environments by support agencies and policymakers.