Social Media Usage and SME Firms’ Sustainability: An Introspective Analysis from Ghana

Emmanuel Bruce, Zhao Shurong, Sulemana Bankuoru Egala, John Amoah, Du Ying, Huang Rui and Tai Lyu
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Emmanuel Bruce: School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Zhao Shurong: Center for West Africa Studies, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Sulemana Bankuoru Egala: School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
John Amoah: Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Mostni 5139, 76001 Zlin, Czech Republic
Du Ying: Center for West Africa Studies, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Huang Rui: Center for West Africa Studies, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
Tai Lyu: School of Public Affairs and Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 15, 1-17

Abstract: Social media is gradually transforming diverse business ecosystems due to the limitless capabilities they offer. Given this, emerging businesses across the globe are leveraging this innovation to improve their operations. While the literature on the usage of social media by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is still emerging, the outcomes from existing research have not been coherent. Amid this, limited empirical evidence has been adduced on the affordance of the technology for the SME ecosystem in developing economies, particularly Ghana. Following this, this study aims to fill this research gap by investigating the impact of social media usage on the long-term sustainability of SMEs, specifically in Ghana. Using empirical data from 424 respondents who are representatives of manufacturing SMEs in Ghana, using SmartPLS techniques, the study confirmed that, generally, social media usage does not only have a positive impact on SMEs but drastically drives their motivations towards resilience and sustainability. The results further revealed a positive and significant effect of social media usage value creation, business connections and opportunities on SMEs’ sustainability. This study contributes to knowledge of social media usage and sustainability from a developing country’s perspective. This study offers several implications for theory and practice.

Keywords: social media usage; SMEs; sustainability; manufacturing; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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