ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION AND BRAND AWARENESS AMONG MICRO-SMALL ENTERPRISES IN KAZAKHSTAN: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE
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Date
2026
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SDU University
Abstract
In rapidly changing and resource-constrained business circumstances, microsmall enterprises (MSEs) depend heavily on internal strategic capabilities and digital tools to enhance their market presence. Previous studies propose that entrepreneurially orientated firms are generally more innovative-oriented, proactive and open to calculated risk-taking despite uncertainty, while social media usage provides these enterprises with accessible channels for communication, promotion, as well as customer engagement. However, there is limited research that has tested the association among these three constructs, namely entrepreneurial orientation, social media usage, and brand awareness, particularly within the emerging economy contexts such as Kazakhstan. This paper studies the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, brand awareness, and social media usage among MSEs in Kazakhstan by implementing a quantitative research method. It gathered responses from MSE owners or managerial representatives through a structured survey using Google form. The paper implemented the PLS-SEM technique for final analysis. For the higher-order formative structure of entrepreneurial orientation, a two-stage analysis method was used. The analysis of the research indicates a strong significant link between entrepreneurial orientation and positive influence on both social media usage and brand awareness. However, the use of social media platforms did not statistically influence brand awareness, and its mediating role is not supported. These findings propose that entrepreneurial orientation contributes directly to brand awareness, while the role of social media usage is rather limited than expected. By providing empirical evidence, this study brings value to existing literature by showing that internal strategic capabilities of the firm may be more influential for the branding outcomes than digital adoption alone within MSEs across developing economies. These results also offer practical implications for policymakers and managers by pointing out that for brand development to be effective, it is required, viii not solely the digital adoptions, but also the development of entrepreneurial capacities.
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Sekirukhan Y / ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION AND BRAND AWARENESS AMONG MICRO-SMALL ENTERPRISES IN KAZAKHSTAN: THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA USAGE / SDU University / School of Social Sciences, Business and Law