Entrepreneurial Skills And Productivity: A Mediating Role Of Employment Generation Among Small And Medium Scale Enterprises In Abuja

Abstract The study examined entrepreneurial skills and productivity: a mediating role of employment generation among small and medium scale enterprises in Abuja. The study employed a survey research design with a population of 689 owners of micro, small and medium scale enterprises in Abuja Metropolis. Taro Yamane formula was used to determine the sample size of 253. Data was generated using questionnaire and the instrument was tested for reliability and validity. The study used Partial Least Square Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to model the regression analysis for test of hypotheses to determine if there is an effect of independent variables on dependent variable. Findings showed that entrepreneurial skills have significant and positive effect on productivity among SMEs in Abuja. Similarly, entrepreneurial skill has significant and positive effect on employment generation (EG) among SMEs in Abuja. The study thus concluded that employment generation has significant and positive effect on productivity among SMEs in Abuja, while entrepreneurial skills partially mediated the relationship between employment generation and productivity. The study recommended that entrepreneurial skills should be properly used in SMEs since it has the capacity to enhance employment generation and productivity among SMEs.