ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES AND SMES PERFORMANCE IN YOBE STATE: MODERATING ROLE OF ENTERPRENEURIAL COMMITMENT
Keywords:
Entrepreneurial Commitment, Innovation competence, Networkingcompetence, Opportunity recognition competence, Risk-taking competence.Abstract
The low performance of Nigerian SMEs was the major reason behind conducting
this study. To address this issue, this study aimed at examining the moderating
role of entrepreneurial commitment in the relationships between dimensions of
entrepreneurial competencies (opportunity recognition, innovation, networking
and risk-taking) and SMEs performance in Yobe State. 223 enterprises were
sampled for data collection through multi-stage sampling technique. The study
employed cross-sectional survey research design and primary source of data was
gathered through questionnaire and smart PLS-SEM was employed to analyze the
data. The results of the study revealed that networking competence is positively
and significant to SMEs' performance. But no evidence was found to support
significant relationships between SMEs' performance and opportunity
recognition, innovation and risk-taking. However, on the moderation relationship,
entrepreneurial commitment was found to moderate the relationship between
opportunity recognition, innovation, and networking competencies, but not risk-
taking competency. This study contributes to the literature on how
entrepreneurial commitment can moderate such competencies with SMEs
performance relationships. The study recommends that entrepreneurs should
commit to acquiring skills that will enhance enterprise performance. Finally, the
study concludes with some limitations that open the avenues for future research
