Nigerian MSMEs and Transformational Entrepreneurship

  • Odafe Martin Egere

    Student thesis: Doctoral ThesisDoctor of Philosophy

    Abstract

    PURPOSE: This research focused on Nigerian micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with a specific focus on the Owners/Managers entrepreneurial competencies alongside the ecosystem support factors for MSMEs, critical in facilitating the systemic development of MSMEs towards achieving transformational entrepreneurship. Transformational entrepreneurship, which is the creation of systemic, ethical, scalable and sustainable businesses with long-term economic and societal impact and the real driver of economic growth, can be the panacea in creating sustainable jobs, wealth and underpinning the economic development of Nigeria. The Nigerian government and stakeholders are focusing on MSMEs to support the creation of sustainable employment, wealth and national economic growth. However, challenges to MSMEs such as corruption, managerial ineptitude, and the inadequate ecosystem support for MSMEs, have constrained these efforts. Accordingly, this thesis investigated essential skills (i.e. adaptability, business ethics, business management, business strategy, commitment, communication and relationship management, conceptual, CSR, financial management, HRM, leadership, marketing, opportunity identification, and planning/organising). Alongside the ecosystem support mechanisms for MSMEs in Nigeria (i.e. Access to Finance, Access to Markets, Access to Resources, Business Support, Capacity Building, Policy & Regulation and Research & Development). This study recognised that the symbiotic association between these skills and the ecosystem factors would facilitate the systemic advancement of MSMEs towards transformational entrepreneurship.
    METHODOLOGY: The study generated the baseline quantitative data within the Delta State region in Nigeria, from one thousand six hundred (1600) MSMEs Owners/Managers, in 6 months, providing 576 (36 per cent) responses. The research performed Factor analysis to observe the structure of competencies and ecosystem variables. The quantitative analysis, which applied a multiple regression using SPSS software version 25, identified significant associations between MSMEs skills and the ecosystem factors. The evidence revealed that Nigerian MSMEs Owners/Managers have a shortage of these critical skills, and further found the ecosystem support factors for MSMEs to be inadequate.
    CONTRIBUTION: A pivotal contribution to the literature and knowledge was developing a theoretical framework and empirically testing the structure, which identified MSMEs' competencies and the ecosystem support mechanisms for MSMEs as drivers in facilitating the systemic development of MSMEs towards transformational entrepreneurship. The theoretical framework provided insight into MSMEs skills alongside the ecosystem support factors for MSMEs.
    ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study provides relevant empirical data for future quantitative studies focused on the MSMEs competencies and the ecosystem. The study concluded that academia, policymakers, stakeholders involved with MSMEs should recognise the need for structures to support MSMEs skills development and policies to support the ecosystem in providing adequate support for the MSMEs. Indeed, this study is the first on transformational entrepreneurship to have explored the under-represented Nigerian MSMEs Owners/Managers with the focus on their skills alongside the ecosystem support mechanisms for MSMEs rather than focusing on policymakers. This grounded investigation provided additional strength to the research findings.
    Date of AwardSept 2020
    Original languageEnglish
    Awarding Institution
    • Coventry University
    SupervisorGideon Maas (Supervisor), Paul Jones (Supervisor) & Pete McLuskie (Supervisor)

    Keywords

    • entrepreneur
    • entrepreneurship
    • entrepreneurial competencies
    • entrepreneurial ecosystem
    • MSMEs
    • Transformational Entrepreneurship
    • Nigeria

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