Devious Competitiveness Paths of SMEs in sub-Saharan Africa: Selected Issues

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to assess the competitiveness general landscape of MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) in sub-Saharan Africa through selected factors driving productivity and effectiveness in doing business, as elements of the general business environment. Design: To present a general outlook of competitiveness a narrow number of factors was chosen – public institutions, infrastructure, women in business and strategic partnership – corresponding to the contents of four Global Competitiveness Index of the World Economic Forum pillars (public and private institutions, infrastructure, labor market efficiency, business sophistication). The factors selected – elements of the general business environment, have one common feature: all are state-performance-dependent. The scientific method of research in this study, uses primary sources like the Global Competitiveness Report or The World Bank documents and data. Secondary sources include a number of syntheses, calculations and interpretations of primary sources presented by Polish and foreign scientific literature. Primary and secondary sources gathered became a base for semiotic and semantic analyses. Findings: The approach in this paper highlights the organization general business environment elements set by the state and their adverse affect on business environment of MSMEs across the region. Competitiveness’ paths then may be called devious. Originality: This study is at the intersection of two different strands relating to organization theory: the business environment and competitiveness, and critical management studies. A qualitative research, a thorough theoretical approach concerns issues hardly available in Poland.