Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Competence on the Relationship between Entrepreneurial, Market, and Learning Orientation among Small and Medium Enterprises’ Performance in Kaduna State: A Conceptual Framework

Despite the significant contribution of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to employment generation and economic development, their performance in Nigeria remains relatively low compared to similar emerging economies. Past studies have established that entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and learning orientation positively affect SMEs’ performance; however, the mechanisms through which these strategic orientations translate into tangible results remain underexplored. This paper therefore proposes a conceptual framework examining the effect of entrepreneurial, market, and learning orientations on SMEs’ performance, with entrepreneurial competence as a mediating variable. The paper is anchored on the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory of the firm. Drawing extensively on existing empirical and theoretical literature, the paper develops and justifies a set of propositions that link each of the three strategic orientations to SMEs’ performance, both directly and indirectly through entrepreneurial competence. The paper argues that entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, and learning orientation each positively influences SMEs’ performance, and that entrepreneurial competence partially mediates these relationships. The paper concludes that strategic orientations are critical drivers of SMEs’ success but their effectiveness largely depends on the entrepreneur's competence in translating these orientations into actionable strategies. Implications for theory, practice, and policy are discussed.