Entrepreneurial ecosystem pillars and performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Uganda

The purpose of this paper was to determine which entrepreneurial ecosystem pillars matter most in enhancing the performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Uganda. Using a descriptive cross-sectional survey of 310 SMEs in manufacturing sector, the study employed stratified and simple random sampling techniques. Data was collected using a Self-Administered Questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and AMOS version 23. The results indicate both institutional arrangements and resource endowments significantly influence performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector of Uganda. However, institutional arrangements have a stronger predictive power on performance of SMEs in the manufacturing sector of Uganda as compared to resource endowments.