J. Global Business Advancement, Vol. 10, No. 3, 2017 327 Copyright © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Marketing capability, marketing strategy implementation and performance in small firms Charles Lagat School of Business and Economics, Moi University, Eldoret, 30107, Kenya Email: lagatck@yahoo.com Gary L. Frankwick* College of Business Administration, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX 79968, USA Email: glfrankwick@utep.edu *Corresponding author Abstract: Firm performance depends on many elements. The standard value chain presents value creation flow from inbound goods through operations to outbound goods, with marketing and servicing as final stages, suggesting that marketing capabilities and implementation strategies make significant contributions to firm performance. This study designs and tests a framework to understand relationships among marketing capabilities, marketing strategy, and marketing implementation. Understanding relationships among these variables may help managers to implement a marketing strategy to maximise performance for small firms. This study employs the resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theories to examine relationships among marketing capabilities, marketing strategy implementation, and firm performance. A sample of 296 small firms in Kenya was surveyed using self-administered questionnaires. Regression and bootstrap results of the survey support the proposed model. Key results of the study indicate that marketing strategy implementation effectiveness positively moderates the effect of marketing capability on small firm market performance and financial performance. Keywords: marketing capability; small business performance. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Lagat, C. and Frankwick, G.L. (2017) ‘Marketing capability, marketing strategy implementation and performance in small firms’, J. Global Business Advancement, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp.327–345. Biographical notes: Charles Lagat (PhD, Moi University) is a Marketing Professor at Moi University. His primary research interests include international business and strategy, and marketing strategy for small business. Gary L. Frankwick (PhD, Arizona State University) is a Professor of Marketing and Marcus Hunt Chair of International Business in the College of Business at the University of Texas at El Paso. He currently serves as the Director of International Engagement. His research interests lie primarily in the behavioural aspects of business-to-business marketing, including marketing