Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the influence of two dimensions of entrepreneurial competencies, namely, strategic competency and ethical competency on the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and second, to explore the role of network competence as a mediat...

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Main Authors: Tehseen, Shehnaz *, Ahmed, F. U., Qureshi, Zuhaib Hassan, Uddin, Mohammad Jasim *, Ramayah, T
Format: Article
Published: Emerald 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/1110/
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author Tehseen, Shehnaz *
Ahmed, F. U.
Qureshi, Zuhaib Hassan
Uddin, Mohammad Jasim *
Ramayah, T
author_facet Tehseen, Shehnaz *
Ahmed, F. U.
Qureshi, Zuhaib Hassan
Uddin, Mohammad Jasim *
Ramayah, T
author_sort Tehseen, Shehnaz *
building SU Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the influence of two dimensions of entrepreneurial competencies, namely, strategic competency and ethical competency on the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and second, to explore the role of network competence as a mediator among these understudied variables. Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study were collected from wholesale and retail-based SMEs in Malaysia through a standard structured questionnaire. PLS–SEM approach was utilised to analyse the data. Findings: Although the findings did not reveal a direct effect of strategic and ethical competencies of entrepreneurs on SMEs’ growth, these competences, however, were found to be influential in driving their growth when network competence was used as a mediator. Originality/value: The existence of a mediation effect between strategic and ethical competencies and SMEs’ growth via network competence has provided insights which add new knowledge to the extant entrepreneurship and SMEs’ performance literature.
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institution Sunway University
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publishDate 2019
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spelling sunway-11102019-10-01T07:41:52Z http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/1110/ Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence Tehseen, Shehnaz * Ahmed, F. U. Qureshi, Zuhaib Hassan Uddin, Mohammad Jasim * Ramayah, T HF Commerce Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, to examine the influence of two dimensions of entrepreneurial competencies, namely, strategic competency and ethical competency on the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs); and second, to explore the role of network competence as a mediator among these understudied variables. Design/methodology/approach: The data for this study were collected from wholesale and retail-based SMEs in Malaysia through a standard structured questionnaire. PLS–SEM approach was utilised to analyse the data. Findings: Although the findings did not reveal a direct effect of strategic and ethical competencies of entrepreneurs on SMEs’ growth, these competences, however, were found to be influential in driving their growth when network competence was used as a mediator. Originality/value: The existence of a mediation effect between strategic and ethical competencies and SMEs’ growth via network competence has provided insights which add new knowledge to the extant entrepreneurship and SMEs’ performance literature. Emerald 2019-01-24 Article PeerReviewed Tehseen, Shehnaz * and Ahmed, F. U. and Qureshi, Zuhaib Hassan and Uddin, Mohammad Jasim * and Ramayah, T (2019) Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 11 (1). pp. 2-29. ISSN 1757-4323 http://doi.org/10.1108/APJBA-05-2018-0084 doi:10.1108/APJBA-05-2018-0084
spellingShingle HF Commerce
Tehseen, Shehnaz *
Ahmed, F. U.
Qureshi, Zuhaib Hassan
Uddin, Mohammad Jasim *
Ramayah, T
Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
title Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
title_full Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
title_fullStr Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
title_full_unstemmed Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
title_short Entrepreneurial competencies and SMEs’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
title_sort entrepreneurial competencies and smes’ growth: the mediating role of network competence
topic HF Commerce
url http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/1110/
http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/1110/
http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/1110/