Knowledge Management and Business Continuity among Educational SMEs in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operate in environments characterized by economic uncertainty, technological change, regulatory pressures, and operational disruptions. Educational SMEs are particularly dependent on organizational knowledge for maintaining teaching, administrative, and support activities during periods of disruption. This study examined the relationships among Knowledge Management (KM), Founder Dependence (FD), and Business Continuity (BC) among selected educational SMEs in Ekiti State, Nigeria, with particular attention to the mediating role of Founder Dependence. The study was anchored on the Knowledge-Based View and supported by the Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory. A quantitative survey design was adopted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire measured on a five-point Likert scale. Of the 500 questionnaires administered, 461 valid responses were obtained, representing a 92.2% response rate. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS and bootstrapping based on 5,000 resamples. The results showed that Knowledge Management had a positive and statistically significant effect on Business Continuity. Knowledge Management also had a positive and statistically significant effect on Founder Dependence, while Founder Dependence had a positive and statistically significant effect on Business Continuity. The indirect effect of Knowledge Management on Business Continuity through Founder Dependence was positive and statistically significant, indicating partial mediation. The model explained 71.5% of the variance in Business Continuity and 39.3% of the variance in Founder Dependence. The findings suggest that Knowledge Management is an important organizational capability for maintaining business continuity, while Founder Dependence provides an additional pathway through which knowledge-related practices are associated with continuity outcomes.