EMMANUEL-MAMUD Eunice Ebubechukwu
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administration and Management
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt
eunice.emamud@gmail.com
WALI Andy Fred
Department of Marketing, Faculty of Administration and Management
Rivers State University Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt
Abstract
This study examined the relationship between supply chain integration and marketing competitiveness of pharmaceutical distribution firms in Rivers State. The study employed the quantitative and explanatory research design. The population of the study comprised 25 pharmaceutical distribution firms in Rivers State. A total of 75 employee from the 25 firms provided data for the study. Primary data were collected from respondents through semi-structured questionnaire designed in the 5-point Likert scale. The data were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistic. The study found that supply chain integration relates to marketing competitiveness of pharmaceutical distribution firms in Rivers State. Specifically, the study found that supply chain integration has very strong positive correlation with customer satisfaction and customer engagement, and a strong positive correlation with customer loyalty. The study concludes that supply chain integration has a strong correlation with marketing competitiveness; and recommends that managers of pharmaceutical distribution firms in Rivers State should properly identify key processes in their supply chains and ensure that they are properly “plugged in” to the operational systems of their partners.
Keywords: Customer engagement, customer loyalty, customer satisfaction, supply chain integration.