Internationalization of Rural SMEs from Nigeria: Examining Social and Organizational Impact

Drawing on Behavioural Theory of the Firm (BTF), this study examines internationalisation of rural SMEs in Nigeria and its impacts on social and organizational development. To examine how SME internationalisation affects societal and organizational development, the study collects cross-sectional data using a structured questionnaire from 304 rural SMEs drawn from several sectors in Nigeria. Applying a partial least square based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), we tested the social and organizational impact of rural SMEs internationalization. The results showed that there is a significant positive relationship between societal and organizational performances and internationalization of SMEs. Both scores were significantly positively correlated with the internationalization of SMEs in rural Nigeria. The study argues that internationalisation of rural SMEs’ reflects on organizational progress and societal progress in terms of improving rural people’s life. The findings of the study will act as the reference point to academicians and policymakers by which they could assess how internationalisation of rural SMEs matters for rural people’s life and can strive to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth.