Purpose Notwithstanding that there has been increasing attention on factors that enhance SME performance in developing economies, there is a dearth of studies explicitly investigating the roles of government support systems and inter-firm collaboration. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) of the firm and institutional theories, this study aims to model and examine how government support, inter-firm collaboration and managerial ties affect SME performance and further explores how firm specific resources mediate the relationships. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research design was used. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 438 SMEs operating in Zambia, a developing Sub-Saharan African country. Hierarchical linear regression and SPSS PROCESS macro were used to test the hypotheses. Findings Findings indicate that managerial ties have both a direct and indirect effect, through firm resources, on financial performance. Also, the relationship between inter-firm collaboration and financial performance is fully mediated by firm resources. Surprisingly, results reveal that government support does not have a significant effect on SME financial performance. Practical implications The study has important implications for SME managers and policy makers. It demonstrates that inter-firm collaborations and managerial ties enhance a firm’s financial performance. It also highlights the view that SMEs need to have firm specific resources to transform external resources, accessed from inter-firm relationships, into superior performance. SME policy makers are advised to focus more on policies and support mechanisms that promote inter-firm relationships at firm and managerial levels. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies to empirically show that the differential effects of inter-firm collaboration and managerial ties on SME performance are channeled through firm resources, in an under-researched developing Sub-Saharan African economy context. The study is also one of the few studies to reveal that government support is not significantly related to SME performance. Therefore, it provides valuable insights which could be applied to other developing countries with characteristics similar to Zambia.

The role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on firm performance is well documented in the literature. Although the majority of the evidence available points to a positive association between CSR and determinants of company performance such as monetary performance, personnel commitment and corporate identity, findings still remain rather inconclusive as negative or no correlation results are also reported. In addition, little is known about how CSR is perceived from a bank customer’s point of view and studies examining its effect on customer satisfaction and loyalty in developing economies are scanty. Drawing insights from the stakeholder and signaling theories, this study examines the effect of CSR on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The study also examines the mediating role of trust on these relationships. Data from 348 bank customers in Zambia indicate that CSR positively affects satisfaction and loyalty. It was also established that trust has a significant mediating effect on the relationships. With the increase in complexity and dynamism of today’s business environment banks are advised to be more socially responsible as one way of building trust and customer satisfaction and loyalty.

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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are considered as an important engine for economic growth in both developed and developing economies. However, SMEs in most developing economies face tremendous challenges that limit their growth and performance. While there has been increasing attention on factors that enhance SME performance in developing economies, few studies have explicitly investigated the roles of interfirm cooperation among SMEs and institutional support systems. Drawing on the resource based view and institutional support theories, this study models and examines how managerial ties, inter-firm cooperation and government support affect performance. Findings from a survey of SMEs in a developing economy indicate that managerial ties and interfirm cooperation have a significant positive effect on performance. Surprisingly, the results reveal that government support does not demonstrate a positive impact on firm performance. In addition these findings confirm that managerial ties play a more significant role on the performance of SMEs than inter-firm cooperation. Overall, policy interventions will be needed to enhance inter-firm cooperation and to address the effects of government support.