The influence of business environment on entrepreneurial motivation, training, skills and mindset towards small business performance in Iraq

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between entrepreneurial motivation, entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial training and entrepreneurial mindset and aspiration on the performance of small businesses in Iraq, with the moderating effects of business environment 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 small business in Iraq. Small businesses are essential to economic growth in Iraq 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 cross sectional survey design was adopted, and the unit of analysis was the individual business owners in the nine districts of Baghdad in Iraq, which is to ascertain their performance in Iraq; and the owners of small business were the respondents. The study employed simple random sampling technique in data collection, with a sample size of 400 small businesses. A combination of descriptive and inferential statistics was used to analyze the data collected using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for window version 23. Hence, both multiple
regression and hierarchical regression analysis were conducted. The findings of this study reports that entrepreneurial motivation, entrepreneurial training and entrepreneurial mindset and aspiration have direct significant relationship with small business performance, while entrepreneurial skills was not found to be a predictor of small business performance in Iraq The result of the hierarchical regression (moderation test) establishes that business environment was not found to moderate the relationships between entrepreneurial training, entrepreneurial mindset and aspiration
and small business performance, whereas business environment was found to moderate the relationship between entrepreneurial motivation, entrepreneurial skills and small business performance.