IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rbs/ijbrss/v14y2025i2p279-290.html

Exploring perceptions and challenges of transitioning wood processing SMEs into commercial ventures: a case study of Buseko and Mandevu-Chaisa markets in Zambia

Author

Listed:
  • Adrian Robert Saluti

    (Graduate School of Business, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia)

  • Bupe Getrude Mutono Mwanza

    (Graduate School of Business, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia)

  • Benjamin Kaira

    (Researcher and Supervisor, University of Zambia, Lusaka, Zambia)

Abstract

This purely qualitative study is about the perceptions of growth for Wood Processing SMEs at Lusaka’s Buseko and Mandevu-Chaisa markets. The first objective was to highlight factors that can contribute to the growth of wood processing SMEs at Buseko and Mandevu-Chaisa markets to grow into viable commercial ventures. The second objective was to ascertain the challenges SMEs in the wood processing industry were facing. The third objective was to explore the strategies that can be implemented by the wood processing SMEs to ensure profitability and growth of wood processing business ventures. An interpretivism paradigm was adopted targeting a sample size of 20 SMEs that were identified using a snowball sampling method from a population 82 SMEs. The information was collected using semi structured interview guides and analysed using an inductive thematic approach. The findings revealed that there was available market for wood products and there was evidence of some SMEs in wood processing at the two markets growing into commercial ventures. Lack of specialized commercial equipment, lack of government support towards SMEs in wood processing and lack of formal training in wood processing were identified as challenges. Access to commercial equipment, taking wood processing industry as a quick method of employment creation and marketing wood products were identified as strategies that can be implemented to ensure profitability and growth of wood processing SMEs. The study recommended access to commercial equipment through cooperative loans and promoting training of more youths in carpentry and joinery in order to alleviate employment shortage. Key Words:wood, processing, innovation, SMEs, growth, management, Zambia

Suggested Citation

  • Adrian Robert Saluti & Bupe Getrude Mutono Mwanza & Benjamin Kaira, 2025. "Exploring perceptions and challenges of transitioning wood processing SMEs into commercial ventures: a case study of Buseko and Mandevu-Chaisa markets in Zambia," International Journal of Research in Business and Social Science (2147-4478), Center for the Strategic Studies in Business and Finance, vol. 14(2), pages 279-290, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:rbs:ijbrss:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:279-290
    DOI: 10.20525/ijrbs.v14i2.3909
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ssbfnet.com/ojs/index.php/ijrbs/article/view/3909/2712
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://doi.org/10.20525/ijrbs.v14i2.3909
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.20525/ijrbs.v14i2.3909?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Judith Green, 2004. "Book Review: Qualitative Methods and Health Policy Research," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 9(4), pages 108-109, November.
    2. Flora Wang, 2016. "What are the biggest obstacles to growth of SMEs in developing countries? - A picture emerging from an enterprise survey," Working Papers IES 2016/09, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, revised May 2016.
    3. Yao Wang, 2016. "What are the biggest obstacles to growth of SMEs in developing countries? – An empirical evidence from an enterprise survey," Borsa Istanbul Review, Research and Business Development Department, Borsa Istanbul, vol. 16(3), pages 167-176, September.
    4. Fabricio Missio & Frederico Gonçalves Jayme Jr. & José Luis Oreiro, 2015. "A tradição estruturalista em economia: aspectos metodológicos e macroeconômicos," Brazilian Journal of Political Economy, FGV EAESP, vol. 35(2), pages 247-266, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Abdu Seid ALI & Ibrahim BUSHERA & Abdurahman Jemal YESUF, 2020. "The potential of Islamic financial institutions in promoting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ethiopia," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, EconSciences Journals, vol. 7(3), pages 188-203, September.
    2. Richard Adu-Gyamfi & John Kuada & Simplice A. Asongu, 2023. "An Integrative Framework for Formal and Informal Entrepreneurship Research in Africa," Journal of African Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(2), pages 167-187, April.
    3. Adu-Gyamfi, Richard & Kuada, John & Asongu, Simplice, 2018. "An Integrative Framework for Entrepreneurship Research in Africa," MPRA Paper 89133, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Saibal Ghosh, 2022. "Firm Performance and Productivity: Is Labour an Obstacle?," The Indian Journal of Labour Economics, Springer;The Indian Society of Labour Economics (ISLE), vol. 65(3), pages 709-728, September.
    5. Muhammad Arif & Mudassar Hasan & Ahmed Shafique Joyo & Christopher Gan & Sazali Abidin, 2020. "Formal Finance Usage and Innovative SMEs: Evidence from ASEAN Countries," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-19, September.
    6. Dinna Charisma & Bambang Hermanto & Margo Purnomo & Tetty Herawati & Anne Charina, 2025. "Sustainable Business Through Local Strength: A Qualitative Study of Financial, Social, and Cultural Strategies in Bandung’s Culinary Micro-Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-27, May.
    7. Farhad Taghizadeh-Hesary & Naoyuki Yoshino & Lisa Fukuda, 2019. "Gender and Corporate Success: An Empirical Analysis of Gender-Based Corporate Performance on a Sample of Asian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," Working Papers id:13032, eSocialSciences.
    8. Reginald Masocha & Olawale Fatoki, 2018. "The Impact of Coercive Pressures on Sustainability Practices of Small Businesses in South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-14, August.
    9. Abderazak Bakhouche, 2022. "Assessing the Innovation-finance Nexus for SMEs: Evidence from the Arab Region (MENA)," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 1875-1895, September.
    10. Imelda T. Angeles & Ma. Socorro P. Calara & Allan B. Guzman, 2019. "The mediating effect of microfinancing on access to finance and growth of microenterprises: evidence from the Philippines," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 9(1), pages 1-16, December.
    11. Zakia Jabeen & Jabir Ali & Nadia Yusuf, 2021. "Difference in business obstacles faced by firms across sizes: evidence from enterprise survey data of India," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 11(1), pages 71-81, December.
    12. ONIFADE Stephen Taiwo & ACET Hakan & ÇEVİK Savaş, 2022. "Modeling The Impacts Of Msmes' Contributions To Gdp And Their Constraints On Unemployment: The Case Of African’S Most Populous Country," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 17(1), pages 154-170, April.
    13. Timothy Ayomitunde Aderemi & Adedayo Mathias Opele & Johnson Ifeanyi Okoh & Mamdouh Abdulaziz Saleh Al‐Faryan, 2023. "An econometric analysis of small‐ and medium‐scale enterprises and employment creation in Nigeria," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(3), pages 1624-1633, April.
    14. Jing Gu & Junyao Wang & Yang Yang & Zeshui Xu, 2019. "Credit Line Models for Supply Chain Enterprises with Channel Background and Soft Information," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-20, May.
    15. Yilong An & Yinghua Zhang, 2021. "Crossing the Valley of Death for SMEs: Management Practices From China," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(3), pages 21582440211, September.
    16. Mang’unyi Eric & Govender Krishna K., 2019. "Exploring the Development Strategies of Rural Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 27(4), pages 95-123, December.
    17. Frank Ranganai Matenda & Mabutho Sibanda, 2022. "Determinants of Default Probability for Audited and Unaudited SMEs under Stressed Conditions in Zimbabwe," Economies, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-28, November.
    18. Johan Karlsson, 2021. "Firm size and growth barriers: a data-driven approach," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(3), pages 1319-1338, October.
    19. Allison, Lee & Liu, Yu & Murtinu, Samuele & Wei, Zuobao, 2023. "Gender and firm performance around the world: The roles of finance, technology and labor," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    20. Grace Carolina Guevara‐Rosero, 2021. "Determinants of manufacturing micro firms' productivity in Ecuador. Do industry and canton where they operate matter?," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(4), pages 1215-1248, August.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:rbs:ijbrss:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:279-290. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Umit Hacioglu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/ssbffea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.