The impact of market orientation, learning orientation, and entrepreneurial orientation on Nigerian SME's performance: the role of access to finance and relational capabilities

This study focuses on the effect of Market Orientation (MO), Learning Orientation (LO) and Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) Performance in Nigeria. The main objective of the study is to examine the mediating role of Relational Capabilities (RC) and moderating role of Access to Finance (AF) on the relationship among MO, LO, EO and SMEs Performance. The research framework has been established based on theories such as Relational View Theory (RVT) and Contingency Theory (CT). This study also applied quantitative methods. The data were collected from the owners/managers of SMEs operating in Kano northwest Nigeria and cross-sectional survey method was used. The systematic random sampling was used and choose the sample. A total of 551 questionnaires were distributed and 296 were returned, out of which 271 were useable. The data analysis was performed through PLS-SEM 3.2.8 and SPSS software. The results showed that MO and LO have non-significant direct relationship with the SMEs Performance while EO reported significant relationship. Equally, relational capabilities mediates the relationship between the LO and EO with performance of SMEs. However, relational capabilities do not mediate the relationship between MO with SMEs Performance. Additionally, access to finance not moderate the relationship between MO, LO and EO with performance of SMEs. The findings show that LO, EO, and RC
will influencing SMEs Performance. The findings provide important insights to owners/managers, ministry of commerce, government, policy-makers and researchers to understand the important use of relational capabilities to enhance the performance effect of LO and EO on SMEs in Nigeria. Equally, it provides further explanation to the existing literature by empirically and theoretically extending the literature of MO, LO, EO specifically in Africa where there is limited similar studies.