Competitive Strategy, Marketing Capability and Adaptability Influenced the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Muslim Entrepreneurs in the Three Southern Border Provinces

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to study (1) the level of competitive strategy, marketing capability and adaptability affecting the competitiveness of small and medium-sized Muslim entrepreneurs in the three southern border provinces, (2) the direct and indirect influence of variables and (3) the consistency and harmony of the causal influence model with empirical data. The research method used a combination of quantitative research and qualitative research. For the quantitative research, the population and sample group consisted of 384 small and medium-sized Muslim entrepreneurs in the three southern border provinces, analyzed the structural equation model with LISREL program. As for the qualitative research, the population and the sample group were 6 small and medium-sized Muslim entrepreneurs in the three southern border provinces (2 entrepreneurs from each province). Data were collected using in-depth interview and analyzed using content analysis. The results showed that the hypothesis model developed by the researcher exhibited congruence with the empirical data. The qui-square was 83.58, degree of freedom (df) = 65, relative chi-square (χ2/df) = 1.28, p value = 0.060, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.027, root mean square residual (RMR) = 0.017, goodness of fit index (GIF) = 0.97, adjusted goodness of fit index (AGIF) = 0.95, comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.99, and critical number (CN) = 422.36. The overall analysis showed that the adjusted structural equation model exhibited congruence with the empirical data.