Thank you for sharing! Unravelling the perceived usefulness of word of mouth in public procurement for small and medium enterprises

Abstract

PurposeOver time, the concept of word of mouth (WOM) has spread beyond marketing into other disciplines. This is because WOM is important in decision-making at both the individual and organisational levels. Also, people are more likely to trust recommendations from their peers than those from companies. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the perceived usefulness of WOM messages for small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) suppliers in participating in Tanzanian public procurement opportunities.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected cross-sectional data from 214 SME suppliers who supply common use items to public procuring organisations in Dodoma City, Tanzania. Structural equation modelling was used to test the direct relationships between study variables, and Hayes' PROCESS macro was used to test for the indirect effect of WOM message delivery on WOM attributes and the perceived usefulness of WOM.FindingsWOM attributes that include expertise differential, perceptual homophily, and trustworthiness are related to the perceived usefulness of WOM. Also, WOM message delivery mediates the relationship between the WOM attributes and the perceived usefulness of WOM in enhancing public procurement participation. Therefore, the study's findings revealed that WOM is applicable in the public procurement context, under which public buyers act as senders and suppliers act as receivers. The latter finds out about public procurement opportunities and responds to them, while the former gives suppliers whatever information they need to respond to public procurement tenders that have been advertised.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the study was cross-sectional, it was difficult to determine whether the opinions gathered over time remained consistent. Furthermore, only suppliers who are parties to framework contracts under Government Procurement Services Agency were included in the study. Therefore, the sample was limited to only suppliers supplying common use items to various public organisations in Dodoma City, Tanzania.Originality/valueThis paper integrates the concept of WOM from the marketing discipline and public procurement. As a result, the study adds to the understanding of the use of information transmission in terms of the contribution of WOM messages from public buyers to suppliers to enhance small and medium enterprises' participation in public procurement opportunities.

Challenges facing procurement and supply professions in Tanzania: higher education students' perceptions

“…, 2021). Buyer–supplier relationships encourage buyers to share relevant information between suppliers and buying organizations, which bridges the communication gap between them (Ismail and Changalima, 2022). Thus, the procurement environment in the country does not fully utilize the benefits of these relationships due to the challenge of inadequate linkage of buyer–supplier relationships in procurement activities, especially in the public sector where there are procedures and regulations that affect the way buyers interact with suppliers (Changalima et al.…”

“…Literature suggests that buyer-supplier relationships are important for improving procurement deliverables and that a lack of buyer-supplier relationships has a negative impact on procurement in terms of miscommunication of requirements and delays (Mushi et al, 2021). Buyer-supplier relationships encourage buyers to share relevant information between suppliers and buying organizations, which bridges the communication gap between them (Ismail and Changalima, 2022). Thus, the procurement environment in the country does not fully utilize the benefits of these relationships due to the challenge of inadequate linkage of buyer-supplier relationships in procurement activities, especially in the public sector where there are procedures and regulations that affect the way buyers interact with suppliers (Changalima et al, 2021a(Changalima et al, , 2022.…”

Do internet marketing capabilities interact with the effect of procedural capabilities for public procurement participation on SMEs’ sales performance?

“…Nevertheless, while the problem can be associated with both procuring entities and SMEs, most past studies have based their research on different angles. In the context of public procurement, the literature contends that buying organisations are responsible for reaching out to SMEs by providing bid documents that contain all necessary information required to allow SMEs to respond to the advertised tender (Ismail and Changalima, 2022). This may improve SMEs' chances of obtaining public procurement contracts as well as their sales performance.…”

I have to apply this strategy! Understanding the mediating effect of digitalization on strategic orientations and sustainable competitive advantage among small enterprises in Tanzania

“…Apart from that, small businesses in developing economies lack access to crucial resources like improved production equipment, materials and managerial expertise, as well as barriers to market entry, supplier and buyer strengths, and decision-making accuracy in the face of market competition (Ismail and Changalima, 2022;Lorenzo et al, 2018). On the other hand, as competition from items manufactured in the locations where these small businesses operate grows, so does competition from products imported from developed economies whose technology is thought to be superior to that of the emerging country.…”

“…Apart from that, small businesses in developing economies lack access to crucial resources like improved production equipment, materials and managerial expertise, as well as barriers to market entry, supplier and buyer strengths, and decision-making accuracy in the face of market competition (Ismail and Changalima, 2022; Lorenzo et al. , 2018).…”