Social Astuteness and Entrepreneurial Orientation Among Small and Medium Enterprises in Nigeria: A Study of Rice Farmers in Kogi State

Abstract

This study investigated the influence of social astuteness on the entrepreneurial orientation of smallholder rice farmers in Kogi State, Nigeria. A socially astute businessman demonstrates a great deal of emotional intelligence, effective communication, and empathy. The objectives of the study were to examine the relationship between social astuteness and risk taking, innovativeness, proactiveness, competitive aggressiveness and autonomy of rice farmers in Kogi State. Using a sample of 349 respondents from a population of 33,000, a structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data. Incorporating a seven-point Likert scale, the study employs Spearman's Product Moment Correlation and SPSS Version 26 for data analysis. The findings reveal a significant positive relationship between social astuteness and key dimensions of EO, including risk-taking (r=0.648), innovativeness(r=0.608), proactiveness (r=0.484), competitive aggressiveness (r=0.322), and autonomy (r=0.429). Social astuteness explains 42%, 36.9%, 23.4%, 10.3%, and 18.4% of the variance in these dimensions, respectively. This underscores the crucial role of social networks and interpersonal skills in fostering entrepreneurial behaviors among farmers. The results align with existing literature on the positive impact of social astuteness in driving entrepreneurial success, particularly in agrarian contexts. The study concludes that enhancing social astuteness through targeted training and policies can significantly improve the entrepreneurial orientation of rice farmers, leading to better business practices. It recommends the integration of social astuteness training into agricultural extension programs, promoting networking platforms, and fostering public-private partnerships to support proactive and innovative farming practices. These interventions can help enhance the overall entrepreneurial capacity of smallholder farmers in the region.