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Unlocking the potential: the influence of sustainable finance solutions on the long-term sustainability of small and medium-sized enterprises

Author: Kato, Ahmed Idi,Chiloane-Tsoka, Evelyn Germinah,Mugambe, Paddy
Publisher: Abingdon: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2391122
Source: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/326489/1/10.1080_23311975.2024.2391122.pdf
Ka o, Ahmed Idi; Chiloane-Tsoka, E elyn Ge minah; Mugambe, Paddy
A icle
Unlocking he po en ial: he in luence o sus ainable
inance solu ions on he long- e m sus ainabili y o small
and medium-sized en e p ises
Cogen Business & Managemen
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Taylo & F ancis G oup
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Ka o, Ahmed Idi; Chiloane-Tsoka, E elyn Ge minah; Mugambe, Paddy
(2024) : Unlocking he po en ial: he in luence o sus ainable inance solu ions on he long- e m
sus ainabili y o small and medium-sized en e p ises, Cogen Business & Managemen , ISSN
2331-1975, Taylo & F ancis, Abingdon, Vol. 11, Iss. 1, pp. 1-21,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/23311975.2024.2391122
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h ps://hdl.handle.ne /10419/326489
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Unlocking he po en ial: he influence o
sus ainable finance solu ions on he long-
e m sus ainabili y o small and medium-sized
en e p ises
Ahmed Idi Ka o, E elyn Ge minah Chiloane-Tsoka & Paddy Mugambe
To ci e his a icle: Ahmed Idi Ka o, E elyn Ge minah Chiloane-Tsoka & Paddy Mugambe
(2024) Unlocking he po en ial: he influence o sus ainable finance solu ions on he long- e m
sus ainabili y o small and medium-sized en e p ises, Cogen Business & Managemen , 11:1,
2391122, DOI: 10.1080/23311975.2024.2391122
To link o his a icle: h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/23311975.2024.2391122
© 2024 The Au ho (s). Published by In o ma
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Cogen Business & ManageMen
2024, VoL. 11, no. 1, 2391122
Unlocking he po en ial: he in luence o sus ainable inance
solu ions on he long- e m sus ainabili y o small and
medium-sized en e p ises
ahmed idi Ka oa , E elyn Ge minah chiloane- sokaa and paddy Mugambeb
aDepa men o applied Managemen , College o economic Managemen sciences, uni e si y o sou h a ica P e o ia,
P e o ia, sou h a ica; bDepa men o Finance and accoun ing, uganda Managemen ins i u e (uMi), Kampala, uganda
ABSTRACT
in ecen imes, he e has been a global shi owa ds sus ainable inance, aligning
inancial ac i i ies wi h en i onmen al, social, and go e nance p inciples (EsG). his
end is c ucial o p omo ing sus ainable businesses and d i ing posi i e change,
especially in Eas a ica whe e small and medium en e p ises (sMEs) play a i al ole in
economic g ow h and job c ea ion. sus ainable inance adop ion wi hin he sME sec o
is key o long- e m economic sus ainabili y and en i onmen al esponsibili y. a
mixed-me hods app oach was employed, u ilizing he mul i- eg ession model in spss
29.0 o analyze he ou comes. he mul i- eg ession analysis o panel da a om 150
p i a e en u e capi al ( c) companies indica es ha enhanced access o sus ainable
inance, p oac i e go e nmen engagemen , and obus policy amewo ks accoun ed
o 14.7% o he obse ed long- e m sus ainabili y successes among sMEs. his
ansla ed o enhanced p oduc i i y and g ow h wi hin he sME sec o . he s udy
ca ies signi ican policy implica ions. i highligh s he impo ance o policymake s
p omo ing and incen i izing he adop ion o sus ainable inance p ac ices among sMEs.
addi ionally, in es o s who p io i ize EsG ac o s can d i e demand o sus ainable
inance op ions, suppo ing sMEs ha p io i ize sus ainabili y. his collabo a ion
be ween policymake s and in es o s can p omo e sus ainable business p ac ices,
ensu ing he success and esilience o sMEs while ad ancing o e all sus ainabili y goals.
howe e , he s udy’s limi ed scope and he nascen s age o he ield may cons ain he
indings’ applicabili y, unde sco ing he ongoing necessi y o expand sus ainable inance
access and policy amewo ks o suppo sMEs in hei en i onmen ally esponsible
s a egies o endu ing success and esilience
1. In oduc ion
in ecen yea s, he e has been a signi ican inc ease in he global discussion su ounding sus ainable
inance, aligning inancial s a egies wi h en i onmen al, social, and go e nance (EsG) p inciples. sus ainable
inance is c ucial in p omo ing sus ainable businesses and d i ing posi i e change (Dhanabagiyam e  al.,
2024; liguo i e  al., 2024). his end is obse ed no only on a global scale bu also p ominen ly in he
con ex o Eas a ica. small and medium en e p ises (sMEs) a e i al con ibu o s o he egion’s economy,
playing key oles in economic g ow h and employmen gene a ion. as such, he in eg a ion o sus ainable
p ac ices wi hin he sME sec o becomes impe a i e o os e ing a mo e en i onmen ally conscious and
socially esponsible business en i onmen . howe e , he in eg a ion o sus ainable p ac ices wi hin sMEs,
especially hose suppo ed by en u e capi al ( c), p esen s bo h challenges and oppo uni ies.
unde s anding he impac o sus ainable inance on sMEs is essen ial o p omo ing sus ainable esponsible
business p ac ices and achie ing long- e m sus ainabili y goals in he egion.
© 2024 he au ho (s). Published by in o ma uK Limi ed, ading as aylo & F ancis g oup
CONTACT ahmed idi Ka o [email p o ec ed] Depa men o applied Managemen , College o economic and Managemen sciences,
uni e si y o sou h a ica, P e o ia, sou h a ica; e elyn ge minah Chiloane- soka [email p o ec ed] Depa men o applied Managemen ,
College o economic Managemen sciences, uni e si y o sou h a ica P e o ia, P e o ia, 0002, sou h a ica.
h ps://doi.o g/10.1080/23311975.2024.2391122
his is an open access a icle dis ibu ed unde he e ms o he C ea i e Commons a ibu ion License (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/), which
pe mi s un es ic ed use, dis ibu ion, and ep oduc ion in any medium, p o ided he o iginal wo k is p ope ly ci ed. he e ms on which his a icle has been
published allow he pos ing o he accep ed Manusc ip in a eposi o y by he au ho (s) o wi h hei consen .
ARTICLE HISTORY
ecei ed 30 ap il 2024
e ised 3 augus 2024
accep ed 6 augus 2024
KEYWORDS
sus ainable inance;
sus ainabili y p ac ices;
sMEs sus ainable g ow h;
sus ainable en u e
capi al; sus ainable
p oduc i i y
SUBJECTS
En ep eneu ial inance;
en ep eneu ship and
small business
managemen ;
sus ainabili y; sus ainable
de elopmen
2 a. i. Ka o E al.
sus ainabili y has eme ged as a ans o ma i e o ce d i ing change, os e ing inno a ion, and
enhancing compe i i eness in oday’s business landscape (apos olopoulos e  al., 2018; syed e  al.,
2022). While la ge co po a ions ha e adi ionally spea headed sus ainabili y ini ia i es, he e is a
g owing global acknowledgmen o he dynamic and impac ul ole ha small and Medium-sized
En e p ises (sMEs) play in his ealm. ecen insigh s highligh he indispensable con ibu ion o sMEs
o he wo ldwide jou ney owa ds sus ainable de elopmen , unde sco ing he impe a i e o hei
ac i e engagemen in he sus ainabili y ansi ion (Gonçal es e al., 2020; an e  al., 2020). Wi h sMEs
ep esen ing 90% o businesses wo ldwide, hey wield signi ican in luence in os e ing sus ainable
p ac ices on a global scale (chen e  al., 2023; Kha ak, 2020; udeagha & B ei enbach, 2024; Ziolo
e  al., 2021).
he li e a u e on sus ainable inance has p edominan ly ocused on la ge co po a ions, o e looking
he speci ic needs and challenges aced by small and Medium-sized En e p ises (sMEs) in Eas a ica.
Despi e he inc easing ecogni ion o sus ainable inance as a ca alys o sME sus ainabili y, g ow h, and
esilience, he e is a no able gap in unde s anding how sMEs in he egion can le e age sus ainable
inance solu ions o long- e m sus ainabili y in Eas a ica. he long- e m sus ainabili y ou comes o
sMEs ha ha e accessed sus ainable inance solu ions emain unde explo ed, hinde ing a comp ehensi e
unde s anding o he las ing impac s o hese in e en ions.
acco ding o he wo k o (Kau mann & cusmano, 2022; Wang, huang & Xiang 2021; Wang & Zhang,
2020), sMEs accoun o 60–70% o ca bon emissions wo ldwide, and oge he , hey ha e a ca bon oo -
p in ha is i e imes highe han ha o hei la ge co po a ions. Gi en ha s a -ups’ socioeconomic
p og ess equen ly igno es he signi icance o sus ainable business p ac ices, his s a k con as aises
se ious conce ns abou en i onmen al sus ainabili y (chen e  al., 2023; cheng e  al., 2019; Geo geson &
Maslin, 2018; Mazzuca o, 2023; udeagha & Muchapondwa, 2023a). unp eceden ed economic g ow h has
li ed millions ou o po e y, bu i has also placed eno mous p essu e on ecosys ems, which has esul ed
in he en i onmen al e ec o sMEs (chukwudi & Muchapondwa, 2023). unlocking he po en ial o sus-
ainable inance solu ions can he e o e suppo egional economic de elopmen , enable sMEs o p os-
pe , and ha e a bene icial social and en i onmen al impac .
o sol e hese en i onmen al issues and ad ance a mo e equi able and sus ainable o m o economic
g ow h, i is c ucial o cen e hem in sus ainabili y con e sa ions. hus, i is impe a i e o place hem a
he hea o sus ainabili y discussions o add ess hese en i onmen al conce ns and p omo e a mo e
sus ainable and inclusi e economic g ow h model. he pu pose o his s udy is o in es iga e he in lu-
ence o sus ainable inance solu ions on he long- e m sus ainabili y o small and Medium-sized
En e p ises (sMEs) in Eas a ica. By examining he impac o imp o ed access o sus ainable inance,
suppo i e go e nmen in ol emen , and policy amewo ks on sME sus ainabili y, his esea ch seeks o
un eil he pa hways h ough which sus ainable inance can ca alyze g ow h, inno a ion, and esilience
among sMEs in he egion.
sus ainable inance, which in eg a es EsG c i e ia in o business o in es men decisions, o e s a pa h-
way o sMEs o g ow while add essing egional challenges such as clima e change, po e y, and inequal-
i y (a zal e  al., 2022; an a ciuc e  al., 2018; Kimanzi & Gamede, 2020). indeed, he s udy conduc ed by
M kajic e  al., 2019) p o ides compelling e idence ha sus ainable c inance plays a pi o al ole in
os e ing sus ainable business p ac ices and en ep eneu ship g ow h. his is a es amen o he powe
o inancial backing in b inging sus ainable and inno a i e ideas o li e. ne e heless, he expansion o
sus ainable inance in Eas a ica is hinde ed by obs acles such as limi ed awa eness among sMEs, a
sca ci y o sus ainable inance solu ions, and egula o y ba ie s (Bui e  al., 2021). hese obs acles place
sMEs a he o e on o sus ainabili y discussions and highligh he need o conce ed e o s owa d
mo e s udies and esea ch o ill he sus ainabili y gap among sMEs.
acco ding o ho ne and Fich e (2022) and a zal e  al. (2022), sus ainable inance solu ions, pa icu-
la ly hose gea ed owa d En i onmen al, social, and Go e nance (EsG) p inciples, can suppo sMEs in
ansi ioning o sus ainable business p ac ices and educing hei ca bon oo p in . ecen ly, he e has
been a signi ican shi in in es o p io i ies owa d i ms ha ecognize EsG conside a ions, as his
app oach is seen as a us ed pa hway o eme ging economies o achie e sus ainable economic g ow h
while mi iga ing en i onmen al deg ada ion (Du s & Ge s lbe ge , 2020; Fa oki, 2021; popescu e  al.,
2021; Ziolo e  al., 2021).
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 3
While he ole o sus ainable inance in d i ing he long- e m sus ainabili y o sMEs in Eas a ica
is widely acknowledged, esea ch on he speci ic impac o his inancing model on p omo ing en i-
onmen al sus ainabili y among sMEs emains limi ed (cheng e al., 2019; chin e al., 2022; End is &
Kassegn, 2022; Fa oki, 2021). p e ious s udies ha e p ima ily ocused on sus ainable inancing wi h-
ou gi ing special a en ion o he po en ial o en u e capi al ( c) in es men (Bocken, 2015;
chukwudi & Muchapondwa, 2023), which has p o en in luen ial in d i ing sus ainabili y in sec o s
such as in ech, unico ns, and ene gy (abo , 2023; agbloyo e  al., 2023; agga wal & Elembilasse y,
2018; Bule ska, 2014; cheng e  al., 2019). howe e , no s udy has ocused on c as a sus ainable
inancing solu ion o p omo ing he sus ainabili y o sMEs in Kenya, uganda, and wanda. s udies
ela ed o his subjec ha e been conduc ed in china (liu e  al., 2023), and Ka o and soka (2020)
ha e in es iga ed he impac o c on he inancial pe o mance o sMEs in uganda. he lack o
ocus on sub-saha an a ica highligh s he need o esea ch o iden i y oppo uni ies and ba ie s
o implemen ing sus ainable inancing solu ions in de eloping na ions (Dhanabagiyam e  al., 2024;
liguo i e  al., 2024).
he g ow h ajec o y o sus ainable inance in eme ging economies encoun e s a ious challenges,
including an excessi e dependence on na u al esou ce expo s and insu icien amewo ks o he issu-
ance o sus ainable inance (agbloyo e  al., 2023; an a ciuc e  al., 2018; Goel e  al., 2022; lin, 2022). in
compa ison o o he eme ging economies ac oss a ica, Kenya, uganda, and wanda exhibi limi ed
awa eness ega ding he capaci y o scale en u e capi al ( c) o ad ance sus ainable business p ac ices
among small and Medium En e p ises (sMEs).
al hough he ole o sus ainable inance is widely acknowledged, esea ch on he speci ic impac o
his inancing model on p omo ing en i onmen al sus ainabili y among sMEs emains limi ed (cheng
e al., 2019; chin, ong & ooi 2022; End is & Kassegn, 2022; Fa oki, 2021). Mo eo e , p e ious s udies ha e
p ima ily ocused on sus ainable inancing wi hou gi ing special a en ion o he po en ial o en u e
capi al ( c) in es men (Bocken, 2015; chukwudi & Muchapondwa, 2023), which is a inancing solu ion
ha has p o en in luen ial in d i ing sus ainabili y in sec o s such as in ech, unico ns, and ene gy (abo ,
2023; agbloyo e al., 2023; agga wal & Elembilasse y, 2018; Bule ska, 2014; cheng e  al., 2019). Ye , ou
e iew o he cu en li e a u e indica es ha no s udy has ocused on c as a sus ainable inancing
solu ion o p omo ing he sus ainabili y o sMEs in Kenya, uganda, and wanda. s udies ela ed o his
subjec ha e been conduc ed in china (liu e  al., 2023), and Ka o and soka (2020) ha e ecen ly in es-
iga ed he impac o c on he inancial pe o mance o sMEs in uganda. he lack o ocus on
sub-saha an a ica highligh s he need o esea ch o iden i y oppo uni ies and ba ie s o implemen -
ing sus ainable inancing solu ions in de eloping na ions.
he s udy ca ies signi ican policy implica ions. i highligh s he impo ance o policymake s p omo -
ing and incen i izing he adop ion o sus ainable inance p ac ices among sMEs. addi ionally, in es o s
who p io i ize EsG ac o s can d i e demand o sus ainable inance op ions, suppo ing sMEs ha p i-
o i ize sus ainabili y. his collabo a ion be ween policymake s and in es o s can p omo e sus ainable
business p ac ices, ensu ing he success and esilience o sMEs while ad ancing o e all sus ainabil-
i y goals.
he es o he pape is s uc u ed as ollows: sec ion 2 e iews he g een inance and en i onmen al
sus ainabili y li e a u e, sec ion 3 explains he da a and me hodology adop ed o his s udy, sec ion 4
p esen s and discusses he empi ical esul s and sec ion 5 concludes wi h policy implica ions.
2. Li e a u e e iew and hypo hesis de elopmen
2.1. Scaling-up sus ainable inance solu ions on p oduc i i y and g ow h o SMEs
sus ainable inance p o ides sMEs wi h he capi al o in es in sus ainable p ac ices, such as
ene gy-e icien echnologies, was e managemen sys ems, and socially esponsible p ac ices, which in
u n can enhance hei p oduc i i y, compe i i eness, and p o i abili y (apos olopoulos e  al., 2018;
Ku niawan e  al., 2023; syed e  al., 2022). E en hough he e is g owing a en ion o inc easing he cu -
en le el o sus ainable inance, he e is no consensus on how de eloping na ions can mee he equi e-
men s o sus ainable p oduc i i y and g ow h (Kadaba e al., 2022; Ka o e al., 2014; Ka o & chiloane- soka,

4 a. i. Ka o E al.
2024). consis en wi h pu nomo e  al. (2021) and abo (2023), sus ainable in es men is essen ial o
scaling up sus ainabili y p ac ices in eme ging coun ies’ s a -up ecosys ems. i o e s s a -ups he inan-
cial esou ces, expe ise, and ne wo ks needed o accele a e hei sus ainable g ow h (cheng e  al.,2019;
Du s & Ge s lbe ge , 2020; popescu e  al., 2021).
al hough c as a sus ainable inance solu ion has been success ul in de eloped economies (an a ciuc
e  al., 2018; hol slag e  al., 2021; liu e  al., 2023; neumann, 2022), he e is li le cla i y on how his
inancing s a egy can p omo e sus ainable business g ow h in Eas a ica. his knowledge gap is pa ic-
ula ly ele an o high-g ow h i ms, which a e o en he p ima y a ge o c in es o s wo ldwide
(Jeong & shin, 2020; Wöhle & haase, 2022). Bo h go e nmen and p i a e sec o ini ia i es mus be
in ensi ied o gua an ee consis en sus ainable inance models ha adhe e o EsG p inciples in Eas
a ica. While he e a e indica ions o his new inancing app oach being implemen ed in Kenya and
uganda, he ou comes a e s ill o hcoming.
sus ainable inance, which in eg a es EsG c i e ia in o business o in es men decisions, o e s a pa h-
way o sMEs o g ow while add essing egional challenges such as clima e change, po e y, and inequal-
i y (a zal e  al., 2022; an a ciuc e  al., 2018; Kimanzi & Gamede, 2020; sha ma e  al., 2024). indeed, he
s udy conduc ed by M kajic e  al., 2019) p o ides compelling e idence ha sus ainable c inance plays
a pi o al ole in os e ing sus ainable business p ac ices and en ep eneu ship g ow h. his is a es amen
o he powe o inancial backing in b inging sus ainable and inno a i e ideas o li e. ne e heless, he
expansion o he c indus y in Eas a ica is hinde ed by obs acles such as limi ed awa eness among
sMEs, a sca ci y o sus ainable inance solu ions, and egula o y ba ie s (Bui e  al., 2021). he exis ing
lack o inancial li e acy among en ep eneu s is u he unde sco ed by he p eceding esea ch con-
duc ed by (adomako e  al., 2016; Dhanabagiyam e  al., 2024; Khan e  al., 2022; liguo i e  al., 2024) on
he ole o inancial li e acy in achie ing inancial inclusion in china. hese challenges pa icula ly impac
sMEs and emphasize he u gency o inc eased ocus on comp ehensi e s udies and esea ch o b idge
he sus ainabili y gap wi hin his sec o .
ecen checks ha e highligh ed he essen ial ac i e pa icipa ion o sMEs in he global jou ney
owa d achie ing sus ainable de elopmen (Bocken, 2015; Gonçal es e  al., 2020; chen e  al., 2023;
udeagha & B ei enbach, 2023b). in e es ingly, his c ucial sec o o en o e looks he impo ance o
inco po a ing sus ainabili y p inciples in o hei business g ow h (Kha ak, 2020) since en ep eneu s
and in es o s end o belie e ha sus ainabili y is p ima ily he esponsibili y o la ge companies wi h
ample social esponsibili y budge s, skilled s a , and a o able go e nmen policies (Bak y e al., 2024;
Bjelic e  al., 2024)
con a y o his belie , i is c ucial o sMEs o ac i ely pa icipa e in he ansi ion owa ds sus ain-
abili y (Gonçal es e  al., 2020), gi en hei signi ican con ibu ion o de elopmen , as pe a ailable
s a is ics. howe e , his equi es he collec i e e o s o he go e nmen , de elopmen pa ne s, and
p i a e sec o ac o s o enhance sus ainable inance solu ions. hese solu ions will s eng hen he sMEs’
capaci y o con ibu e e ec i ely o he long- e m sus ainabili y o hei i ms. Wi hou su icien inan-
cial suppo , sMEs may emain unable o ealize hei ull po en ial in achie ing he sDGs by 2030
(Dhayal e  al., 2023; lin, 2022; andjelo ic e  al., 2003). in e en ions ocused on collec i e assis ance
om a ious sou ces can help en ep eneu s and s a -ups boos ecological in eg i y, c ea e no el en i-
onmen ally sus ainable businesses, and has en p og ess owa ds achie ing he sDGs and c ea ing a
b igh e u u e o all.
he ajec o y o g ow h o sus ainable inance in eme ging economies is aced wi h se e al chal-
lenges, such as an o e - eliance on na u al esou ce expo s and he inadequa e amewo k o issuing
sus ainable inance (agbloyo e  al., 2023; an a ciuc e  al., 2018; Goel e  al., 2022; lin, 2022). compa ed
o o he eme ging economies in a ica, Kenya, uganda, and wanda ha e limi ed awa eness abou he
po en ial o scaling c o p omo e sus ainable business p ac ices among sMEs. Fu he mo e, i is e iden
ha public unds and adi ional sou ces o inancing a e insu icien o add ess clima e change and
p omo e sus ainable business p ac ices (hol slag e  al., 2021; pu nomo e  al., 2021). o achie e sus ain-
abili y, companies and ins i u ions a e now p io i izing in es men s ha align wi h he iple-bo om-line
app oach, which encompasses people, plane , and p o i conside a ions (agga wal & Elembilasse y, 2018;
an a ciuc e  al., 2018; Bocken e  al., 2012; lee e  al., 2020; Mohd & Kaushal, 2018; osho a e  al., 2021).
he analysis o p e ious esea ch ha examines he impac o sus ainable inance solu ions on global
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 5
sus ainabili y and sus ainable business g ow h p o ides a solid ounda ion o ou i s hypo hesis, which
is ep esen ed as ollows
Hypo hesis H1: scaling up access o sus ainable inance solu ions posi i ely in luences he p oduc i i y and
g ow h po en ial o sMEs.
2.2. In luence o go e nmen policy and in ol emen in os e ing SMEs’ sus ainabili y p ac ices
in ecen yea s, a en ion has g adually d awn o he emphasis on sus ainable inance solu ions, pa icu-
la ly in Eas a ica. his ocus is e iden in esea ch explo ing he oles o inancial ins i u ions, go e n-
men policies, and sus ainable inance. a s udy by Mungai e al. (2022) unde sco ed he i al ole inancial
ins i u ions in Eas a ica play in sMEs’ ansi ion o sus ainable inance p ac ices, such as g een banking
and social lending. howe e , he up ake o hese p ac ices is s ill limi ed. a lack o awa eness and unde -
s anding o sus ainable inance among inancial ins i u ions means hese p ac ices emain unpopula in
eme ging coun ies (Khan e  al., 2022; udeagha & B ei enbach, 2024; Ziolo e  al., 2021).
Ziolo e  al. (2021) disco e ed ha he s abili y o banks, he quali y o he educa ional sys em, and he
e ec i eness o he go e nmen posi i ely impac ed he nominal GDp pe capi a. con e sely, ac o s like he
mise y index and he ease o access o loans we e ound o ha e a nega i e in luence on he nominal GDp
pe capi a du ing he obse ed pe iod. Despi e hese insigh ul indings, he s udy ell sho in a icula ing
how sus ainable inance acili a es he ansi ion o sMEs owa ds sus ainable g ow h, highligh ing a c ucial
a ea o u he explo a ion and esea ch. Building upon hese indings, he esea ch by Du s and Ge s lbe ge
(2020) emphasized he c ucial signi icance o go e nmen policy in his con ex . i is essen ial o no e ha he
comp ehensi e de elopmen o such policies and he c ea ion o a s ong business egula o y amewo k a e
pa amoun in gua an eeing he endu ing sus ainabili y o hese in es men s
sMEs play a c ucial ole in d i ing a coun y’s sus ainable de elopmen by making subs an ial con ibu ions
o socio-economic sus ainabili y. Eme ging economies a e inc easingly ecognising sMEs’ ole in his p ocess.
hey a e shi ing sMEs owa ds sus ainable business p ac ices o gene a e communi y bene i s such as job
c ea ion, po e y educ ion, and sus ainable economic g ow h (agbloyo e  al., 2023; Dhayal e  al., 2023;
Fa oki, 2021; lin, 2022). he g owing in e es in p omo ing sus ainabili y wi hin he sME sec o has d i en
changes in echnologies, p oduc s, p ocesses, and business models (a di o e  al., 2018). howe e , many sMEs
in Eas a ica, including ci ies like nai obi, Mombasa, Kisumu (Kenya), Kampala (uganda), and Kigali ( wanda),
s ill ope a e in un egula ed en i onmen s, leading o esou ce deple ion and en i onmen al deg ada ion
(Mungai e al., 2022). his non-compliance wi h EsG s anda ds hampe s he sus ainable de elopmen o sMEs
in Eas a ica. hus, Eas a ican egimes mus ecognise clima e change as a de elopmen issue and in eg a e
i sys ema ically in o hei de elopmen s a egies and policies.
Wöhle and haase (2022) emphasize he impo ance o go e nmen c unding in os e ing sus ain-
able g ow h o sMEs. Go e nmen s need o p io i ize esou ces o clima e- ela ed p ojec s, pa icula ly
in adap a ion and mi iga ion e o s (Mungai e  al., 2022). c in es men plays a c ucial ole in guiding
in es men decisions h ough en i onmen al sc eening and isk assessmen o mee sus ainabili y c i e ia.
i is essen ial o make signi ican in es men s in g een and clima e- esilien in as uc u e egionally o
align economic g ow h wi h sus ainable p ac ices and dec ease ca bon emissions (Kau mann & cusmano,
2022; sie kes, 2024; Wang e  al., 2021; Wang & Zhang, 2020; Wang & Zhi, 2016). in Kenya, uganda, and
wanda, c eme ges as a c i ical inancing ool o ad ancing en i onmen al sus ainabili y.
se e al s udies s ess ha sMEs ace a dual challenge o limi ed access o sus ainable c and inancial
esou ces while ying o implemen and scale hei sus ainabili y e o s (Bocken, 2015; Mungai e  al.,
2022). Despi e ecognizing he impo ance o sus ainable p ac ices, hese sMEs o en lack he unding
needed o implemen a ion. he sca ci y o sus ainable c and inancial esou ces hinde s hei abili y o
in es in enewable ene gy, eco- iendly echnologies, and sus ainable supply chains. his inancial con-
s ain impedes sMEs’ capaci y o adop and expand sus ainabili y ini ia i es, hampe ing hei jou ney
owa ds long- e m en i onmen al and social sus ainabili y. While conce ns abou educing global ca bon
dioxide (co2) emissions ha e in ensi ied, he ole o sus ainable inance solu ions in p omo ing ecological
sus ainabili y among sMEs emains ela i ely unde s udied. his li e a u e p o ides aluable suppo and
se es as a solid ounda ion o ou esea ch hypo hesis, which is ep esen ed as ollows.
6 a. i. Ka o E al.
Hypo hesis (Ha2): he e is a signi ican ela ionship be ween sus ainable inancing, go e nmen policy, go -
e nmen in ol emen , and he adop ion o sus ainabili y p ac ices among sMEs.
3. Ma e ials and me hods
3.1. Resea ch design
his s udy examines he e ec o sus ainable inance on he sus ainabili y o sMEs in h ee de eloping
na ions in a ica om 2015 o 2023. he esea ch design employed in his s udy is c oss-sec ional, which
allows o an in-dep h explo a ion o he ole o sus ainable inance in he long- e m sus ainabili y o
sMEs in Eas a ica. his s a egy enables a comp ehensi e unde s anding o he complex dynamics and
con ex ual ac o s and p o ides a ich and de ailed analysis, con ibu ing aluable insigh s o he exis ing
body o knowledge on sus ainable inance and sME sus ainabili y (olsen & s Geo ge, 2004). Mo eo e ,
he design also aligns wi h p e ious schola s’ esea ch app oaches, such as hose o Jain e  al. (2019),
who conduc ed a c oss-sec ional s udy on sus ainable inance in sub-saha an a ica. i is howe e
impo an o no e ha he design may be aced wi h imi a ions including challenges o con e ing
causa ion and he impac o con ounding a iables (Wang & cheng, 2020).
3.2. Sample and popula ion
se e al s eps we e aken in he con ex o he sample and popula ion o ensu e he alidi y and
eliabili y o he s udy. Mul iple da ase s we e u ilized, including he sou he n p i a e Equi y and
en u e capi al associa ion (sa ca), sou h a ican e enue se ices, and a ica en u e capi al
associa ion (a ca), which main ain eco ds on he pe o mance o p c i ms in he sou he n and
Eas a ican egions. his app oach has been ex ensi ely employed in c s udies in Eas a ica (Ka o
& soka, 2020. he da a om hese epu able p o essional agencies has been c oss-checked o con-
sis ency and p o en mo e eliable han comme cial da abases. supplemen a y da a was collec ed
om indi idual c i ms’ websi es o ga he addi ional in o ma ion. he da ase s included annual
pe o mance da a om 2015 o 2023 ocusing on p c i ms in ol ed in he c indus y, including
la e -s age p i a e equi y a angemen s.
he pu posi e sampling me hod was ound mos sui able o his s udy as i ensu es ha he selec ed
sample ep esen s a di e se ange o c i ms ope a ing in he egion, enhancing he gene alizabili y o
he indings. p e ious schola s, such as Ko ha i (2004) employed pu posi e sampling in case s udies o
selec pa icipan s wi h speci ic expe iences ela ed o he esea ch opic. his s udy builds upon p e i-
ous esea ch app oaches and ensu es ha he sample consis s o c i ms wi h subs an ial in luence on
sus ainable inance p ac ices in Eas a ica. he scope o he s udy is limi ed o c i ms in Eas a ica,
speci ically Kenya, uganda, and wanda. Ye , c i ms ha ha e less han i e yea s o ac i e in ol emen
in he c ma ke a e also elimina ed
3.3. Measu emen o a iables
he 5-le semi-s uc u ed ques ionnai e was used o quan i a i e da a collec ion o ensu e he
inclusion o ele an a iables and allow o s a is ical analysis o he co ela ion among di e en
ac o s. addi ionally, he semi-s uc u ed in e iews, which d aw on he p e ious wo k o Yin (2014),
enable an in-dep h explo a ion and unde s anding o he complexi ies and nuances su ounding he
c landscape.
he da a analysis encompasses bo h quan i a i e and quali a i e echniques. Desc ip i e s a is ics p o-
ide a summa y o he da a, while eg ession analysis and explana o y ac o y (EFa) analysis allow o he
examina ion o ela ionships be ween independen and dependen a iables. h ough a mul i- eg ession
model and panel da a om 150 c i ms, we assess he impac o sus ainable inance solu ions in os-
e ing long- e m sus ainabili y in sMEs in Eas a ica. in he eg ession model, we aimed o examine how
sus ainabili y p ac ices in sMEs a e in luenced by sus ainable inance, go e nmen policy, and go e n-
men in ol emen . he e o e, we p esen ou model as sus ainabili y p ac ice as a unc ion o
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 7
go e nmen policy (Gp), go e nmen in ol emen (Gi), and sus ainable inance (sF). he mul i a ia e
eg ession model can be ep esen ed as ollows:
sus ainabili y p ac ice (sp) = β0 + β1Gp + β2Gi + β3*sF + e
Whe e.
sp – ep esen s he dependen a iable (sus ainabili y p ac ice),
Gp – ep esen s he independen a iable o go e nmen policy,
Gi – ep esen s he independen a iable o go e nmen in ol emen ,
sF – ep esen s he independen a iable o sus ainable inance, and
e - ep esen s he e o e m.
he coe icien s β0, β1, β2, and β3 ep esen he eg ession coe icien s ha need o be es ima ed
using spss s a is ical so wa e.
a mul i a ia e eg ession model in ol ing p- alues is used o de e mine he magni ude o he s a is-
ical signi icance o he coe icien s (β). he adjus ed R-squa ed alue is also calcula ed o assess he
model’s o e all goodness o i . he mul i a ia e eg ession model allowed o a comp ehensi e examina-
ion o he ac o s in luencing sus ainable inance and he long- e m sus ainabili y o sMEs in Eas a ica.
in he case o quali a i e in e iew da a analysis, hema ic analyses widely used in p e ious esea ch
app oaches, such as B aun and cla ke (2006), we e employed o iden i y and analyze ecu ing hemes
and pa e ns in he 12 ex ac ed in e iew ansc ip s. his mixed me hods analysis app oach enhances
he igo and comp ehensi eness o he s udy’s indings. p e ious wo k o c eswell & cla k, 2017 empha-
sizes he bene i o in eg a ing da a om mul iple sou ces o gain a holis ic iew o he esea ch opic.
he s udy s eng hens he alidi y and eliabili y o he indings h ough iangula ion, as he con e -
gence o di e gence o e idence can p o ide deepe insigh s in o he ela ionships be ween sus ainable
inance and sME sus ainabili y in Eas a ica. in unde aking his esea ch, we ecei ed an e hical clea -
ance ce i ica e om he college o Economics and Managemen science a he uni e si y o sou h a ica.
4. Resul s
4.1. Desc ip i e s a is ics
Desc ip i e s a is ics we e calcula ed o p o ide an o e iew o he sample and a iables o in e es . he
means, s anda d de ia ions (sD) and ku osis o he a iables we e epo ed. he esul s indica ed ha
he sample consis ed o 150 c i ms in Eas a ica, wi h a di e se ange o 427 in es men po olios.
While he sD p o ides a measu e o he dispe sion o he da a, ku osis quan i ies he ex en o which
he dis ibu ion o a da ase di e s om a no mal dis ibu ion. Ku osis helps unde s and he p esence
o ou lie s and he concen a ion o da a poin s a ound he mean anging om −2 o 2. a posi i e ku -
osis alue indica es a ela i ely peaked dis ibu ion, while a nega i e alue indica es a ela i ely la
dis ibu ion.
in able 1, he s anda d de ia ion (sD) and ku osis alues o each a iable we e examined o unde -
s and he dis ibu ion o he da a by conduc ing a no mali y es . Based on he desc ip i e s a is ics, we
can obse e ha mos a iables’ s anda d de ia ion alues ange om 0.724 o 1.118. in con as , we can
see ha some a iables ha e posi i e ku osis alues ( o example, new indus ies and g een manu ac-
u ing), indica ing a ela i ely peaked dis ibu ion. con e sely, some a iables ha e nega i e ku osis al-
ues ( o example, sus ainable g ow h, and new p oduc s and se ices, indica ing a ela i ely la
dis ibu ion. hese a ia ions sugges ha cau ion should be exe cised when in e p e ing he esul s and
applying s a is ical es s ha assume no mali y.
calls ha e been made o he use o non-pa ame ic es s, such as he Mann–Whi ney U es o he
K uskal–Wallis es , which a e conside ed mo e app op ia e o analysing he ela ionships be ween such
a iables. howe e , ou esul s show ha he iola ion o no mali y is negligible as a la ge po ion o
da a anges be ween he ku osis no mali y scale o −2 and 2.
14 a. i. Ka o E al.
dependen a iables. simila ly, he Gp5 a iable, while modes , signi ican ly impac s p oduc i i y, employ-
men , and sus ainable g ow h o sMEs, wi h p- alues o all ou s a is ics less han 0.05. his highligh s
he signi ican in luence o sus ainable inance on sMEs’ p oduc i i y, employmen , and sus ainable p ac-
ices, wi h mul iple a iables con ibu ing o hese e ec s.
p e ious s udies by an a ciuc e al. (2018), hol slag e al. (2021), neumann (2022), and liu e al. (2023)
ha e consis en ly emphasized he c ucial ole o sus ainable inance in p omo ing sus ainable business
p ac ices among sMEs. While ou s udy aligns wi h his pe spec i e, i also d aws a en ion o he e ol -
ing landscape cha ac e ized by limi ed access o sus ainable inance solu ions o sMEs. adi ional banks
and he p i a e sec o ha e ye o ully ha ness he po en ial o sus ainable inance inno a ions, indica -
ing he need o u he esea ch e o s o add ess he global challenge o ad ancing clima e sus ain-
abili y in he sME sec o .
ou indings highligh he signi icance o sus ainable inance in d i ing economic g ow h, employ-
men , and sus ainabili y wi hin sMEs. hey ad oca e o pa ne ships be ween go e nmen and p i a e
sec o s akeholde s o b oaden he a ailabili y o sus ainable inancing mechanisms, empowe ing sMEs
o con ibu e o en i onmen al sus ainabili y and pu sue sus ainable business en u es, pa icula ly in
Eas a ica. insigh s om ou in e iews also e eal some p og ess, albei inadequa e, in g een ene gy
and Fin ech c in es men s in Kenya, p ima ily a ibu able o he coun y’s dynamic c landscape.
on he o he hand, he esul s om uganda and wanda indica e a g owing demand o awa eness
o and access o sus ainable inancing solu ions. Mos c i ms in hese coun ies appea o ocus on he
heal h se ices and ag icul u e sec o s. howe e , he emphasis on sus ainabili y in hei unding app oach
is no e iden , as hei p ima y ocus emains on sol ing leade ship issues o ensu e high in es men
e u ns. he e o e, p io i izing go e nmen policies could ca alyze sMEs o adop sus ainable business
p ac ices wi h he suppo and guidance o c in es o s.
he esul s om he mul i a ia e eg ession analysis es ing ha2 p o ide obus e idence o he s a-
is ical link be ween sus ainable inance, go e nmen policy, and c in es o s’ expe ise in ad ancing he
long- e m sus ainabili y o sMEs. he analysis highligh s signi ican p edic o s, wi h a eg ession sum o
squa es o 31.054 and an F- alue o 8.399, demons a ing ha he eg ession model explains a subs an-
ial po ion o he a iabili y in sus ainabili y p ac ices. a ound 14.7% o he a iance in sus ainabili y
p ac ices can be a ibu ed o enhanced access o sus ainable inance, go e nmen engagemen , and
policy amewo ks. hese indings a e consis en wi h he esea ch by chukwudi and Muchapondwa
(2023) ocusing on B ics coun ies. howe e , he e emains unexplained a ia ion, indica ed by he esid-
ual sum o squa es (179.939), unde sco ing he necessi y o u he explo a ion o addi ional ac o s
in luencing sus ainabili y p ac ices among sMEs. Employing a blend o sus ainabili y s a egies is c ucial
o ealizing EsG goals in Eas a ica.
he es esul s om he null hypo hesis (ho3) e eal a signi ican impac o he p edic o a iables
on sus ainable p ojec s, leading us o ejec he null hypo hesis. his signi ies ha ou de eloped model
exhibi s a s ong ela ionship wi h an imp essi e R-squa e alue o 0.892. his means ha app oxima ely
89.2% o he a ia ion in he dependen a iable ‘sus ainable p ojec s s ill inadequa e’ can be explained
by he independen a iables we ha e conside ed. Fu he mo e, he Du bin-Wa son s a is ic o 1.992
eassu es us, indica ing no signi ican au oco ela ion in he esiduals. his ein o ces he eliabili y and
accu acy o ou model. addi ionally, he ano a able ( able 7) p esen s us wi h compelling e idence o
he s a is ical signi icance o he model. Wi h an F- alue o 401.513 and a p- alue o <0.001, he inde-
penden a iables collec i ely ha e a subs an ial in luence on he dependen a iable.
hese esul s demons a e he powe and po en ial o sus ainable inance in d i ing meaning ul
change. hey highligh he impo ance o conside ing a ious ac o s and hei impac on sus ainable
p ojec s. unde s anding he ela ionships be ween sus ainable inance, go e nmen policy, and c expe -
ise can pa e he way o a mo e sus ainable u u e.
hese indings p o ide aluable insigh s o in es o s, en ep eneu s, and policymake s alike. hey
se e as a call o ac ion, u ging in es o s o conside he posi i e impac o sus ainable inance when
making in es men decisions. En ep eneu s a e encou aged o emb ace sus ainable p ac ices and ecog-
nize he signi icance o s akeholde s’ p essu e and he inancial en i onmen in hei pu sui o sus ain-
abili y. policymake s a e eminded o hei c ucial ole in c ea ing an enabling en i onmen ha suppo s
and p omo es sus ainable inance ini ia i es. in conclusion, he esul s inspi e us o con inue ad ancing

coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 15
sus ainable inance and i s ole in os e ing long- e m sus ainabili y. By le e aging he powe o sus ain-
able inance, we can d i e posi i e change, p omo e en i onmen al sus ainabili y, and c ea e a be e
u u e o u u e gene a ions.
Fu he in es iga ion is needed o explo e he speci ic mechanisms by which sus ainable inance, pa -
icula ly c, con ibu es o he long- e m sus ainabili y o sMEs. longi udinal s udies can p o ide insigh s
in o he las ing impac s o sus ainable inance on sME pe o mance and g ow h. compa a i e s udies
ac oss di e en egions and coun ies can also illumina e con ex ual ac o s ha in luence he adop ion
and e ec i eness o sus ainable inance p ac ices in sMEs. By ecognizing hese ac o s and aking app o-
p ia e ac ions, policymake s, p ac i ione s, and esea che s can con ibu e o he de elopmen o a mo e
sus ainable and inclusi e inancial ecosys em o sMEs
6. Conclusion
his s udy in es iga ed he impac o sus ainable inance solu ions on he sus ainabili y o small and
medium-sized en e p ises (sMEs) in Eas a ica. he indings suppo he hypo hesis ha scaling up
access o sus ainable inance posi i ely a ec s he p oduc i i y and g ow h po en ial o sMEs. sMEs wi h
access o sus ainable inance solu ions demons a ed highe p oduc i i y le els and mo e signi ican
g ow h po en ial han hose wi hou such access. he s udy unde lines ha imp o ed a ailabili y o
sus ainable inancing when pai ed wi h suppo i e policies and go e nmen ini ia i es, is essen ial o
imp o ing he sus ainabili y ou comes o sMEs. his esul s in a no able 14.7% su ge in g ow h and
p oduc i i y. Besides ou indings emphasize how in es men s ha a e in line wi h sus ainable s anda ds
can lead o g ow h and inc eased p oduc i i y. Because hey can gene a e subs an ial p o i s by assis ing
sMEs in hei sus ainabili y endea o s. hus, o imp o e hei sus ainabili y ini ia i es, small business
owne s migh gain by looking o en i onmen ally iendly inance sou ces and u ilizing go e nmen
assis ance. in a ma ke ha is becoming mo e and mo e ocused on sus ainabili y, ha ing access o
sus ainable inance can help businesses succeed in he long un as well as expand hei ope a ions.
his s udy p o ides empi ical e idence on he e ec i eness o sus ainable inance ins umen s in
enhancing he sus ainabili y o sMEs in Kenya, uganda, and wanda. i iden i ies c i ical ac o s such as
go e nmen suppo and policy amewo ks while highligh ing challenges like ine ec i e s akeholde
p essu es and an uncon olled inancial en i onmen . he esea ch ad oca es o inno a i e inancing
ins umen s ailo ed o sMEs’ needs and unde sco es he po en ial o sus ainable inance o d i e posi i e
change. By ocusing on an unde - esea ched egion and sec o , he s udy o e s aluable insigh s o
simila e o s in o he de eloping egions, emphasizing sMEs’ ole in achie ing global sus ainabili y goals
i is impe a i e o emphasise ha pa ne ships pa ne ships be ween in e na ional de elopmen o ga-
niza ions and en u e capi alis s c ea e new unding a enues o sus ainable i ms. ini ia i es like sus ain-
able ag ibusiness and enewable ene gy in uganda and Kenya ecei e en u e capi al suppo , p omo ing
sus ainable comme cial ac i i ies. his collabo a ion o e s sMEs a iable pa h o long- e m iabili y.
Go e nmen policies and engagemen a e c ucial o suppo and incen i ize sus ainable p ac ices. access
o sus ainable inancing sou ces inc eases he likelihood o businesses adop ing sus ainable p ac ices.
hese indings align wi h Ku niawan e  al., 2023; Kadaba e  al., 2022; liu e  al., 2023; and Ka o &
chiloane- soka, 2024, ein o cing he impo ance o sus ainable inancing in d i ing sus ainabili y.
on he o he hand, he challenges su ounding sus ainabili y, sus ainable business p ac ices, and sus-
ainable inancing, as highligh ed by Bui e al. (2020) and Du s and Ge s lbe ge (2020), pose signi ican
ba ie s o he e ec i e adop ion o hese p ac ices by sMEs. he e o e, acili a ing access o sus ainable
inancing solu ions is c ucial o os e ing he success ul in eg a ion o sus ainabili y ini ia i es wi hin sMEs.
7. Implica ions and u u e esea ch di ec ions
his s udy’s impo ance is e iden when compa ed o Das e  al., 2020 esea ch on co po a e sus ainabil-
i y in asia, e ealing a disc epancy in sus ainabili y ocus be ween la ge co po a ions and sMEs, pa icu-
la ly in eme ging economies. add essing his gap h ough enhanced public-p i a e pa ne ships,
egula o y amewo ks, and imp o ed access o sus ainable inance is pa amoun . inc easing awa eness
among he business communi y can u he boos sMEs’ sus ainabili y e o s. hese insigh s p o ide
16 a. i. Ka o E al.
aluable guidance o in es o s, policymake s, and en ep eneu s, illumina ing he ac o s d i ing sus ain-
able p ac ices wi hin sMEs. Fu he mo e, he s udy emphasizes he need o conside addi ional a iables
beyond he model o comp ehensi ely unde s and and p omo e sus ainabili y among sMEs.
Mo eo e , he esea ch unde sco es he c ucial ole o sus ainable inance in os e ing sus ainable
p ac ices wi hin sMEs, signi ican ly con ibu ing o cu en knowledge. By examining he impac o g een
manu ac u ing ini ia i es, go e nmen egula ions, and en u e capi al in es men s, he s udy enhances
ou unde s anding o how egula o y amewo ks and inancial suppo in luence en i onmen al con-
sciousness in small en e p ises. addi ionally, add essing he cons ain s iden i ied in ea lie s udies ega d-
ing sus ainable inancing and business p ac ices is essen ial o he e ec i e implemen a ion o
sus ainabili y ini ia i es among sMEs. his esea ch expands he heo e ical amewo k on sus ainable
inance and p o ides p ac ical insigh s o suppo sus ainable g ow h in sMEs.
While he s udy o e s aluable implica ions o s akeholde s in Eas a ica, ocusing on Kenya, uganda,
and wanda, ce ain limi a ions should be acknowledged. he exclusi e ocus on hese h ee coun ies
may es ic he gene alizabili y o he indings beyond his con ex . addi ionally, he s udy’s na ow
ocus on c-backed i ms in Eas a ica may limi he applicabili y o he esul s o o he ypes o busi-
nesses in he egion. elying solely on da a om he c indus y in oduces he po en ial o bias and
o e looks pe spec i es om o he sec o s ele an o sus ainable inance p ac ices in Eas a ica. Fu u e
esea ch should aim o explo e a mo e di e se ange o businesses o p o ide a comp ehensi e unde -
s anding o sus ainabili y p ac ices and challenges ac oss a ious indus ies in he egion. las ly, he use
o c oss-sec ional esea ch design may p esen limi a ions associa ed wi h making causal in e ences and
he indings gene ally being suscep ible o non- esponse and ecall biases.
Acknowledgmen
We did no ecei e any unding.
Au ho con ibu ions
ahmed i. Ka o led he concep ualiza ion and design, analysis, in e p e a ion o esul s, and d a ing o he manu-
sc ip . E elyn. G. chiloane- soka and paddy Mugambe we e engaged in e iewing he manusc ip and app o ing he
submission o he jou nal.
Disclosu e s a emen
no po en ial con lic o in e es was epo ed by he au ho (s).
Abou he au ho s
Ahmed I. Ka o, phD., is a espec ed esea che and academic, known o his con ibu ions in en u e capi al, en e-
p eneu ship de elopmen , sus ainable supply chain managemen , sus ainable inance, and women en ep eneu ship.
Wi h nume ous publica ions in epu able jou nals, he also b ings o e 15 yea s o expe ience in inancial manage-
men and esea ch capaci y building in he nGo sec o .
E elyn G. Chiloane-Tsoka is a highly accomplished esea che and p o esso o En ep eneu ship a he uni e si y o
sou h a ica. Wi h a ocus on empowe ing women en ep eneu s, she has es ablished he sel as an expe in he
ield. he esea ch on go e nmen policies and women en ep eneu ship has in luenced policymaking and esul ed
in eigh publica ions in epu able jou nals. p o . E elyn. G chiloane- soka ac i ely men o s young academics, uns an
En ep eneu ship hub and collabo a es in e na ionally. he expe ise and dedica ion o ad ancing women’s en ep e-
neu ship make he an in aluable asse o academia and he en ep eneu ial landscape.
Paddy Mugambe, phD., is a senio lec u e in Finance and accoun ing and is cu en ly he Dean o , he school o
Business and Managemen a uganda Managemen ins i u e (uMi). he p o ides s a egic guidance o uMi’s la ges
school, p omo ing academic excellence and p o essional g ow h. Mugambe holds a phD. in accoun ancy, an MBa in
Finance, an Msc in u ban Managemen and De elopmen , and a Bcom in accoun ing. his expe ise lies in inance,
inancial managemen , inancial li e acy, sus ainable inancing o sMEs, inancial inclusion, and he ans o ma i e
ole o in echs. he ac i ely con ibu es o academia and se es as an ex e nal examine o mul iple uni e si ies,
men o ing he nex gene a ion o schola s and p o essionals.
coGEn BusinEss & ManaGEMEn 17
ORCID
ahmed idi Ka o h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-1811-6138
E elyn Ge minah chiloane- soka h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-0460-6291
paddy Mugambe h p://o cid.o g/0000-0002-5294-5108
Da a a ailabili y s a emen
Da ase can be p o ided upon eques .
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