Internal and External Determinants of SMEs’ Sustainability Performance in Akwa Ibom and Lagos State, Nigeria.

• Main Authors: chigbu, Christian chisom, Irma Yazreen, Md Yusoff, Norizan, Jaafar
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English; English
• Published: Human Resource Management Academics Research Society 2023
• Subjects: HB Economic Theory
• Online Access: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/44930/3/DSVA_Chigbu%20Chisom.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/44930/4/Thesis%20Master_Chigbu%20Chisom%20-%2024%20pages.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/44930/5/Thesis%20Master_Chigbu%20Chisom.ftext.pdf; http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/44930/; http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJAREMS/v12-i3/17367
• Institution: Universiti Malaysia Sarawak

Globally, SMEs’ internal (founder entrepreneurial leadership attributes, founder’s entrepreneurial human capital and founder entrepreneurial social capital) and external (government specific financial resources, government specific non-financial resources, government specific policies and public infrastructure) determinants serve as indicators of SMEs’ sustainability performance. Unfortunately, internal and external determinant variables are deeply negative in the context of SMEs’ sustainability performance in the Nigerian SME sector and as such, most Nigerian SMEs firms barely survive, let alone actualize sustainable performance in the present-day competitive business environment. Therefore, this study examines internal and external constructs and SMEs’ sustainability performance in Akwa Ibom State and Lagos State, Nigeria. The study’s philosophy focuses on quantitative philosophical methods. Questionnaires were distributed and tested through a pilot study to confirm the reliability and validity of the variables. A total of 650 questionnaires were distributed for self-completion, and 600 were completed and returned. Both SPSS and SmartPLS were used for descriptive statistics, path regression, and hypotheses testing. The study outcome posits that founder entrepreneurial leadership attributes have a strong correlation with internal and external social and environmental sustainability performance, as well as a negative relationship with economic sustainability performance. Entrepreneurial human capital showed a significant positive correlation with economic sustainability, internal and external social sustainability, and environmental sustainability performance. The founder’s entrepreneurial social capital showed a strong interconnection with economic sustainability performance. Internal and external social sustainability performance has an insignificant connection to environmental sustainability performance. Government-specific financial resources were positively correlated with economic sustainability performance, internal and external social sustainability performance, and environmental sustainability. Government-specific non-financial resources showed positive correlations with economic sustainability performance and internal and external social sustainability performance, whereas there was an insignificant connection with environmental sustainability performance. Government-specific policies showed a negative relationship with economic and environmental sustainability performance and were positively related to internal and external social sustainability performance. Finally, public infrastructure showed a negative correlation with economic sustainability performance and was positively related to internal and external social sustainability and environmental sustainability performance. This study’s contribution to existing knowledge on both theory and managerial implications is described, along with limitations, implications, and research directions for future studies.