Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance of Small and Medium Scale Timber Businesses in South-South Region of Nigeria

This study is centered on entrepreneurial orientation and performance of small and medium scale timber businesses in South-South region of Nigeria. The present problem regarding the performance of small and medium scale timber business is the major concern that necessitated this study. Thus, some SMEs usually collapse before their fifth year anniversary coupled with the problems of poor funding, epileptic power supply, inexperience, lack of entrepreneurial spirit/orientation, increase in multiple taxation by community, forest personnel, local and state government as well as instability in exchange rate on importing and procuring equipment, lack of creativity, and or innovations as well as competitive aggressiveness equally constitute constraints. In view of these, the objectives of the study are: to examine the effect of entrepreneurial orientations (EO) measured by innovativeness, proactivesness, competitive aggressiveness and risk taking of entrepreneur on the performance of small and medium scale timber businesses. Data was obtained from primary sources by the use of questionnaire Data from 379 respondents and analyzed using simple regression. Findings of the study showed that there is significant relationship between innovation, competitive aggressiveness, risk taking and proactiveness on the growth of small and medium scale timber businesses in South-South region of Nigeria. The study concludes that innovativeness, proactivesness, competitive aggressiveness and risk taking of entrepreneur on leads to the performance of small and medium scale timber businesses. The study recommended that entrepreneurial orientation should be seen by all as a panacea for high productivity in small and medium scale timber business. Hence, it should be practiced by all sectors of SMEs in order to meet up with the objectives of the organization. There is need for the Department of Micro and Small-Enterprise Development (DMSED) to consider in her blue print, facilitation of capacity building workshops and seminars for small and medium entrepreneurs to sensitize them on the significance of these dimensions in business performance.