The Impact Of Strategic Management Training Modules On Sme Managers' Performance: An Empirical Analysis In Emerging Markets
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Abstract
This study investigates the causal impact of targeted strategic management training modules on the performance of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) managers in emerging markets, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya) and South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh). SMEs, which constitute about 90% of businesses, drive roughly 75% of employment and 45% of GDP in these economies, yet managers often lack formal strategic skills amid resource constraints, institutional voids, and environmental volatility. Employing a quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching, the research involved 320 SMEs (160 treatment, 160 control) across a six-month blended training program covering strategy formulation, implementation, performance monitoring, and adaptive leadership. Pre- and post-intervention assessments (at 6 and 12 months) utilized surveys, objective firm metrics, difference-in-differences estimation, ANCOVA, and structural equation modelling. Results revealed significant improvements in managerial competencies (Cohen's d = 1.19–1.51), with large, sustained gains in formulation, implementation, monitoring, and leadership skills. These translated into enhanced firm performance: revenue growth increased by 11–14 percentage points more than controls, profitability margins rose by 5–7 points, innovation output tripled, employee retention improved by 8–9%, and customer satisfaction climbed notably (all p < 0.01; medium-to-large effect sizes). Mediation analysis confirmed that competency gains fully mediated performance uplifts, aligning with resource-based view and dynamic capabilities theories. The findings underscore strategic management training as a high-impact, scalable intervention for building resilience and competitiveness in emerging contexts, where such capacity-building remains under-explored. Policymakers, development agencies, and providers should prioritize context-adapted, blended programs to maximize SME contributions to inclusive growth, while addressing minor skill decay through reinforcement mechanisms
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