Article Published In Vol.5 (Nov-Dec-2017)

Level of Education, Business Experience and Small and Medium Enterprise Performance in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana

Author : Dr Edward Nii Amar Amarteifio and Senyo Agbeblewu

There is growing recognition of the important role SMEs play in economic development. SMEs are often described as efficient and prolific job creators, the seeds of big businesses and the fuel of national economic engines. SMEs make substantial contributions to the Ghanaian economy in terms of output, job creation, income generation and effective utilisation of resources. In view of these contributions, SMEs are at the heart of the country’s strategy aimed at making Ghana competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy. This study investigated the effect of level of education and business experience of owner/managers on the performance of SMEs in the Accra Metropolis of Ghana. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether owner/managers’ level of education and years of experience are significant variables that affect the performance of the business. A multi-method approach employing both quantitative and qualitative research methodology was utilized. Structural equation modelling using partial least squares was employed to examine these effects. The findings indicated that the level of education and business experience of owner/managers has no significance on the performance of SMEs in the Accra Metropolis.

Keywords: Level of Education, Business Experience, Performance, Small and Medium-Size Enterprises, Ghana