Risk Culture and Strategic Planning Roles on Enterprise Risk Management and Firm Performance in Selected African Countries

Abstract

Enterprise risk management (ERM) research has mostly been limited to factors determining its implementation and its effects on firm performance. Despite a clear need for its establishment in sound risk culture and its integration with strategic planning, organisational leaders continue to implement these management concepts in isolation. Academic research into these conjoint relationships has also received less attention in the literature. This study investigates whether ERM's effect on firm financial performance, measured by return on assets, is mediated by risk culture and strategic planning. The study provides empirical evidence that adopting ERM solely does not enhance a firm's financial performance. The ERM, risk culture, and strategic planning constructs are empirically determined to be correlated. Strategic planning has a direct and positive relationship with firm performance. The study further provides empirical evidence that the positive effects of ERM implementation on firm financial performance are mediated by risk culture and strategic planning. The size of a firm and its financial leverage are remarkable determinants of firm performance, while firm age and growth rate are not. The pieces of evidence have been presented from an under-investigated context in Africa with other contributions to the literature, such as, providing comprehensive measures of ERM and risk culture and responding to calls to synthesise risk and strategic management. This study also advances multiple mediation analysis and the use of PLS-SEM in the ERM literature.