Abstract
Despite the extensive research undertaken on the importance of small and medium
enterprises (SMEs) in both developed and developing nations, much is still unknown about
how these businesses can create quality relationships in an effort to enhance brand
performance, specifically within the context of the apparel industry of Botswana. This study
attempted to address this limitation by focusing on the five dimensions of relationship quality
(trust, commitment, satisfaction, empathy, and communication) and their influence on the
brand performance elements (brand associations, brand awareness, brand loyalty, brand
reputation, brand image, brand trust, and brand commitment) amongst SMEs in the apparel
industry of Botswana.
SMEs have been recognised as a breeding ground for economic development across the
global landscape. Indeed, SMEs have contributed to 45% of the Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of Botswana, have accounted for 75% of private sector employment, and are the
primary sources of employment opportunities within the country. In this regard, SMEs are
driven by the apparel industry, which attracts 70% of entrepreneurs, employs 4,183 semiskilled
workers, and produces Botswana’s third-largest export commodity. However, SMEs
in the apparel industry have found themselves in a complex and highly competitive
environment in which they and their competitors target the same cohort of customers with
homogenous products, leading customers to switch business partners. This switching
behaviour is attributed to customers being knowledgeable about product quality, imageconscious,
and increasingly price-sensitive, making the retention of profitable customers
more challenging. For this reason, SMEs are encouraged to invest in marketing activities
such as relationship quality in order to build stronger ties with customers. The cultivation of
relationship quality, aimed at customers through the application of trust, commitment,
satisfaction, empathy, and communication could lead to an improved level of brand
performance, resulting in increased competitive advantage and higher retention rates.
In order to investigate the influence of the dimensions of relationship quality on brand
performance as perceived by customers of selected apparel businesses, an empirical
investigation was conducted. The primary research objective of the study was to determine
the perceived influence of relationship quality dimensions on brand performance amongst
SMEs in the apparel industry of Botswana.
The study followed a descriptive research design, and a survey method was used for
collecting the necessary information to meet the research objectives. A Ministry of Trade and
Industry (MTI) database containing 33 registered SME businesses was used to select the...
M.Com. (Marketing Management)