The Mediating Role of Knowledge Acquisition in the Influence of Entrepreneurial Orientation on the Competitiveness of SMEs Integrated in the Value Chain: the Case of Agricultural SMEs in the Fes-Meknes Region

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate how knowledge acquisition mediates the relationship between the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and the competitiveness of agricultural SMEs in the Fez-Meknes region (RFM) of Morocco. The study utilized a quantitative approach and employed a questionnaire as the data collection instrument. The target sample size was 330, which represents a subset of the total population of 2150 SMEs operating in the agricultural sector in the RFM. The relationship between the variables was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The statistical analysis revealed that knowledge acquisition played a mediating role in the relationship between the dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and the competitiveness of agricultural SMEs that are integrated in the value chain.