Entrepreneurship Education Networking Practice and SMEs Venture Performance: Empirical Search for Truth

Abstract

Innovation is the basis of all competitive advantages and the key to unlocking an organization’s ability to become highly competitive, win new customers, and remain relevant in today’s business world. This study explores the relationship between entrepreneurship education networking practice and SMEs venture performance, having empirically reviewed SMEs in Port Harcourt metropolis. Descriptive survey research design using closed and self-administered questionnaire was adopted. A total of 400 valid sets of data were collected from managers within 12 weeks through convenience sampling. Mean, aggregate mean and spearman rank correlation coefficient were used for data analysis with the aid of statistical package for social sciences version 25.0. The empirical results of the analysis show that experimental education relates to market share positively, and significantly so. The study, therefore, concludes that there exists a significant and positive relationship between entrepreneurship education networking practice and venture performance of small and medium scale enterprises. It recommends that there should be more awareness regarding network affiliations. Also the thrust and emphasis should be on modern technology to promote technologically driven practical entrepreneurial studies aimed at producing entrepreneurs with experiential knowledge-based competences.