Abstract
Research on the association between innovation characteristics and the adoption of the mobile
marketing innovation at the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) interface is limited. This
study examined the direct impact of the innovation characteristics on South African SME
decision-makers’ attitude towards the adoption of mobile marketing. Data for testing the
research hypotheses formulated for the study were obtained through a survey of 156
manufacturing SMEs in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. The findings suggest that
relative advantage, compatibility, and the complexity of the mobile marketing innovation are
all significantly associated with SME decision-makers’ attitude towards adopting this source
of innovation. The managerial implications of these findings for strategies aimed at
accelerating the adoption of mobile marketing among South African SMEs and others
operating in similar contexts are highlighted.