International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VI, June 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Factors Influencing Towards the Adoption of Social Media Marketing in SMEs (References to Small and Medium scale Enterprises in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka)

T.H.A.S.H. Niranjala
Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Abstract – The primary objective of this research was to identify factors influencing towards the adoption of Social Media Marketing (SMM) in Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SME) in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka. A low adoption rate of social media marketing by SMEs was identified as a major research problem and accordingly several hypotheses were developed. Literature provides evidences based on previous related articles, models and theories which related to the factors affecting towards the adoption of social media marketing. According to literature, four factors were highlighted for the survey in depth. Top management perception, social influence, facilitating conditions and ease of use considered as main variables for developing the conceptual framework. Study was conducted based on quantitative approach and primary data was collected through questionnaires from 150 Small and Medium scale enterprises in Anuradhapura. The collected data was analyzed using the statistical package and presented using mean, frequencies, standard deviation, regression and correlations. The study concludes that the main variables have a positive association towards the adoption of social media marketing. Then all the hypotheses were significant and accepted. It also includes a summery and recommendations for study, and suggests that SMEs should consider SMM as a supporting medium for their main stream marketing communication, and also as a marketing tool for better returns and to be proactive in order to identify the blue ocean in SMM for cost reduction while achieving the enterprise’s marketing goals and objectives through online platforms.

Key words: Social Media Marketing, Top Management Perception, Social Influence, Facilitating Conditions, Ease of Use

I.INTRODUCTION

The Small Medium Enterprise (SME) sector has been identified as an important strategic sector in the overall policy objectives of the Government of Sri Lanka and it is seen as a driver of change for general economic growth, the regional development as well as employment generation & poverty reduction.
SME’s are the beginners in business cycle. When consider about large scale of organization it also had a history of its childhood which it was in small scale. When increasing population, it cannot handle with government careers. Accordingly there is a huge unemployment in present scenario in Sri Lanka.