Impact of network structure on sustainable competitive performance among Pakistani small and medium enterprises: does government financial support matter?

Rizwan Ullah Khan (), Arshad Mahmood (), Mohammed Ahmed (), Makwan Jamil Mustafa (), Mohammad Khamis Alshamsi (), Qaisar Iqbal () and Yashar Salamzadeh ()
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Rizwan Ullah Khan: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Arshad Mahmood: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Mohammed Ahmed: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Makwan Jamil Mustafa: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Mohammad Khamis Alshamsi: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Qaisar Iqbal: Universiti Sains Malaysia
Yashar Salamzadeh: Universiti Sains Malaysia

Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, 2021, vol. 11, issue 1, 579-591

Abstract: Abstract Government support plays a vital role to push the firms to gain sustainable competitive performance and economic development of an economy. Nevertheless, from the last decades, lack of government subsidies and incentives, especially in emerging economies, cuts owners networking roots at international and national level. Therefore, the current study underlines how networking structure (density and centrality) effects on sustainable competitive performance (thereafter SCPs) in Pakistan’s SMEs. In addition, we conducted a mediating effect of government financial support on relation between networking structure and SCP. Hence, small enterprise is a major source of economic development, employment, and value creation. So, we developed hypothesis based on previous studies–related government financial support and network structure. The data was collected through structured questionnaires from top management of SMEs. The hypothesis was tested through Smart Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results indicated that density has a positive and significant effect on sustainable competitive performance, while centrality has an insignificant effect on SCP. Furthermore, government financial support strongly and significantly supports the relation between networking structure and SCP in Pakistan. This research has several recommendations for government to fully support small enterprises because owners have a networking system at national and international level but they have lack of environment.

Keywords: Density; Centrality; Government support; Sustainable competitive performance; Pakistan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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DOI: 10.1007/s40497-021-00295-w

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