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Dr Timilehin Olasoji Olubiyi
ORCID: 0000-0003-0690-7722

Renowned author, researcher, and specialist in the field of business, having remarkable knowledge and experience in the Nigerian financial sector, as well as in academia and public service. His diverse professional history includes stockbroking, fund management, consulting, and teaching. He is affiliated with the Department of Business Administration and Marketing at Babcock University, the Babcock Centre for Executive Development in Ogun State, Nigeria, and serves as a facilitator and project supervisor at the Department of Business Administration at the National Open University of Nigeria. He has supervised academic theses of over 30 students pursuing Master's degrees (M.Sc., MBA), as well as those pursuing Postgraduate Diplomas and Bachelor of Science degrees. He has delivered presentations at numerous international conferences and has authored multiple papers and opinions in prestigious academic journals as well as well-known newspapers across the globe. His research interests span a wide range of topics including small business, entrepreneurship, innovation, knowledge management, enterprise continuity, succession, strategy, policy, and leadership. Dr Timi Olubiyi is distinguished by his strong academic background, serving as a peer reviewer and member of the editorial board for several high-impact publications, such as those indexed in Scopus and DOAJ.

 
DOI: 10.33226/1231-7853.2024.7.3
JEL: L25, D63, L24, M10, O55, L10, O30

Technology has grown ever more crucial for business competitiveness, permeating all facets of business life. Many firms have had to reconsider their business strategies post-pandemic as a result of technological advances, economic shocks, and market demands. But less is noticed in the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) sector which plays a role in the majority of the world's economy. This study therefore aims to investigate the effect of organizational factors (firm strategy, organizational culture, open innovation, and technological capability) on SME growth (profitability, customer satisfaction, competitive advantage, and product quality). The descriptive survey design was used and the population of the study comprised structured small businesses in Lagos, Nigeria – the most populous country and biggest economy in Africa. Findings revealed that the combined effect of innovation strategy, organizational structure, open innovation culture, and technological capability significantly affect SME growth in Lagos state, Nigeria post-pandemic. Thus SMEs in Nigeria require improved knowledge, sound management, and the development of human resource capabilities to improve these organizational factors. The study therefore recommends that the management of SMEs, including the owners/managers, increase the need to create a working environment that fosters open innovation models and technology adoption to enhance organizational culture, thereby improving business growth and profitability. Government policy support is also required to improve the skills, knowledge, and technological mastery of SMEs in Nigeria.

Keywords: artificial intelligence; business competitiveness; innovation; Nigeria