ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION, DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGY AND SUSTAINABLE SMES PERFORMANCE IN NORTHEAST NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the mediating effect of differentiation strategy on the relationship between entrepreneurial

orientation dimensions and sustainable Small and Medium Enterprises performance. The population of the study is

six thousand and twelve (n=6,012). SMEs operating in Northeast States of Nigeria out of which three hundred and

eighty-four (n=364) were selected using Yamane formula and data were collected from (retrieved 325 copies).

Regarding specific indirect effects, innovativeness risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness have demonstrated

significant positive indirect effects on sustainable SMEs performance via differentiation strategy.

Conversely, autonomy and proactiveness failed to demonstrate significant indirect effects, a negative effect of

autonomy on SME performance, pointing that it can be a source of liability where SMEs lack strategy framework

that may not yield a competitive advantage in the SMEs context.