The Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on SMEs Performance in Ghana with Social Capital as a mediator and Government Support Policies as moderator.

Abstract

The primary aim of this current study is to propose a research framework on the influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) on SMEs performance in Ghana with Social Capital (SC) as a mediator and Government Support Policies (GSPs) as moderator. The study reviewed existing literature pertaining EO, SC and GSPs by using the five EO dimensions of Lumpkin and Dess, (1996) to ascertain the mediating and moderating role of SC and GSPs in relation to SMEs performance in Ghana and used measures of SC, and GSPs. A questionnaire will be administered to 380 registered SME-owners of Ghana based on Ghana Statistical Survey, (2016) using simple random sampling technique, and the data will be analysed by the Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) software. This study is hinged on the resource-based view and the social capital theories stressing the need for SMEs to focus more on their unique internal and external resources that existed within their social capital network based on their reciprocal relations. This novel study would further provide new insight to practitioners to understand and appreciate the role of SC in explaining and GSPs in promoting the EO of SMEs performance relationship.