TQM AND AGRIPERENUERIAL PERFORMANCE OF SMES: THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF NETWORK COMPETENCE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i4.1309Keywords:
total quality management, agripreneurial performance, human capital, resource-based view, network competenceAbstract
Agribusiness in Nigeria has grown remarkably over the last decades. According to National Bureau of Statistics, about 40.2 million households are actively involved in agriculture with over 90% either involved in crops and livestock farming. The quantitative research design is aimed at examining the mediating role of network competency on the relationships between TQM practices (leadership commitment, customer focus, continuous improvement and employee involvement) on the agripreneurial performance of SMEs. Using a sample 256 SMEs managers and employees analysed with PLS-SEM 4, the following findings were made leadership commitment, customer focus and network competency have direct and significant positive relationship with agripreneurial performance of SMEs. Network competency fully mediated the relationship between leadership commitment, continuous improvement and employee involvement while partial mediation was observed with customer focus. The findings emphasise the need for agricultural SMEs to integrate external networking tactics with internal quality management. Leadership-driven quality culture, customer-focused operations, and continuous improvement practices that improve connections with suppliers, buyers, extension agents, and government programs should be top priorities for managers.
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