Market orientation, knowledge management, entrepreneurial orientation and performance of Nigeria SMEs

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between market orientation, knowledge management, and entrepreneurial orientation on the performance of Nigerian small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with the moderating and mediating effects of business environment and organizational culture
respectively. Literature was extensively reviewed in management and other related fields for better understanding of past, present and future needs in the study area. Although their relationships have generated considerable scholarly interest, few studies have actually been conducted among SMEs in Nigeria. SMEs are essential to economic growth in Nigeria and they are a major source of employment and
contribute significantly towards the gross domestic products. Based on a theoretical
consideration, a model was proposed to examine these relationships. A crosssectional
survey design was adopted and the unit of analysis was the organization, which is SME performance in Nigeria; and the owner/managers of SMEs were the respondents. The study employed systematic random sampling technique in data collection, with a sample size of 640 SMEs. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data collected using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for window version 20. Hence, both multiple regression and hierarchical regression analysis were used. The findings of this study reported that knowledge management and entrepreneurial orientation have direct significant positive relationship with firm performance, while market orientation was not found to be a predictor of SME performance in Nigeria. The result of hierarchical
regression (moderation test) established that business environment was not found to moderate the relationships between market orientation, knowledge management, entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. The findings of mediation test indicated that organizational culture partially mediated the relationships between knowledge management, entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. Finally,
study implications for theory and practice, limitations, conclusions as well as direction for future research were provided and discussed.