An Empirical Investigation and Conceptual Model of Perceptions, Support, and Barriers to Marketing in Social Enterprises in Bangladesh

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

-Abstract: Quite informative but it should also report some of the findings... also there is no mention of conceptual framework that we see later in the paper

-Introduction: It is vell structured and informative... instead of only refering to the following section at the end, please add the aim that this paper hopes to achieve and the structure of the remaining sections.

-Theoritical underpinnings: Thorough review on SE and marketing... please elaborate on the research gap and why in your opinion their cross-section is important. 

-You conducted 22 interviews... are they enough to justify any conclusions? futhermore you removed not relevant (how many?) and similar (how many?) ... so how big was the final sample size? and is its size comparable to other relevant studies? (though it's justified for this particular type of research).

-Figure 1 has 3 black boxes (not readable) and also the bullets need smaller font. Please improve the overall quality of the figure.

-The results are interesting but I'm not confident that by isolating quotes there can be a generalization of the outcomes.. is there a way of quantification? perhaps a talbe that summarizes the key findings? 

-Conceptual framework... it is not mentioned in the Abstract/Introduction... not clear about its aim/objectives... also how the framework will be researched further and validated?

Generally it is a well-researched and well-written paper that needs polishing to better communitace its contributions

 

Author Response

Abstract - Thank you for your insightful comments. I have added a few sentences that include the conceptual framework and the key findings. Page 1

Introduction - “The main aim of this research is to investigate the perception of, and to evaluate the barriers to, marketing activities in SEs of Bangladesh.” Page 2

Theoretical underpinnings - Based on the reviewer’s suggestions, we have further elaborated on the research gap. Page 6

Conducted interviews -

Thank you for your suggestions. We have added the following comments.

 

“There is no standard definition in terms of the ideal sample size for qualitative interviews [84]. Theoretical saturation may occur during as few as five interviews. If overlapping themes keep appearing during interviews, a sample of as little as six interviews would be enough to develop themes and useful explanations [85]. A total of 22 face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted. The initial target for interview was determined to be 30 and, of these, 22 interviews were conducted.” Page 8-9

Figure 1 - Overall quality of the figure has been updated. Pages 10, 24

The results -

The use of quotes or verbatims from participants is a typical and necessary component to any qualitative research report. It is by revealing participants’ exact language that the researcher helps the user of the research to understand the key takeaways by clarifying through illustration the essential points of the researchers’ interpretations. The provided quotes of this study have been carefully selected for being the most descriptive or explanatory of the researchers’ conceptual interpretation of the data. 

Conceptual framework - In the amended copy, the presence of conceptual framework has been mentioned. Pages 1,2, 24

Generally a well researched paper - We appreciate your positive comments.  We have undertaken further proof reading. 

Reviewer 2 Report

Regarding the sample, authors should clarify if they are working with a convenience sample or not. The variables are clearly explained, while their description is in line with relevant papers extracted from body of knowledge. The authors used to collect qualitative research data but did not perform an in-depth analysis. I suggest content analysis, semantic analysis.

 

The discussion is logical and well-grounded in the findings and analysis. I appreciate that the community of scientists could find these findings useful in preparing their research models. However, managerial and practical implications are missing, so authors should work on this issue.  The limitations are clearly presented are assumed by authors, but future research avenues should also detailed. This section could be strengthen in order to better outline the added value of this paper.

 

Author Response

Regarding the sample --

Following statement has been added in the sampling technique section: - Page 8

 

‘As Ozuem, Howell and Lancaster (2019) noted, purposive sampling enriches and provides higher order recruitment of knowledgeable participants than other sampling methods due to the researcher’s volitional choice of participants’

 

As constructionists noted, thematic analysis has been widely used in most qualitative studies (Azemi, Ozuem and Howell, 2019; Ozuem, Howell and Lancaster, 2008). Following this line of thought, the current study adopted thematic analysis approach.

The discussion is logical--- Page 25 26

Based on the insightful comments of the reviewer, the managerial and practical implications, and future research sections have been enhanced.

Round 2

Reviewer 2 Report

Dear authors,

Thank you for following the suggestions and the paper is in an improved form.