Perceived corruption, business process digitization, and SMEs’ degree of internationalization in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This paper contributes to international business literature by investigating the relationship between perceived corruption and the degree of internationalization (DoI) through business process digitization (BPD). Moreover, the paper examines the moderating effect of firm age on the correlation between perceived corruption and BPD. Using data collected from two sub-Saharan African countries—Ghana and Nigeria, the findings show that perceived corruption is positively correlated to BPD and this correlation is stronger among younger firms. Besides, the findings reveal that BPD is positively correlated to DoI. Moreover, the results of our analysis also indicate that BPD mediates the correlation between perceived corruption and DoI. The limitations of the study and the implications of its findings for researchers and practitioners are discussed.