Ethical Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Evidence from Nigerian Entrepreneurial Ecosystems
| dc.contributor.author | Adebayo Adeyemi Abdulwasiu | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-09-29T12:57:52Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-09-29T12:57:52Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-09-09 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Ethical entrepreneurship has become an important lever for fostering sustainable development because it combines economic, social, and environmental responsibilities in business operations. Despite flourishing entrepreneurial ecosystems in Nigeria, there is limited empirical evidence on how these ecosystems foster ethical entrepreneurial actions that contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study investigated the impact of ethical entrepreneurship on SDG achievement in Nigerian entrepreneurial ecosystems, focusing on business integrity, fairness in business transactions, moral standards, and legal standards. Grounded in Stakeholder Theory and Sustainable Entrepreneurship Theory, the study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 284 owners and managers of Agro-Allied small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kwara State, Nigeria, selected through a multistage sampling procedure. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4. The results indicated that business integrity (β = 0.220, p < 0.001), fairness in business transactions (β = 0.281, p < 0.001), and moral standards (β = 0.424, p < 0.001) had significant positive effects on SDG achievement, whereas legal standards had a positive but statistically insignificant effect (β = 0.010, p = 0.867). The model explained 75.7% of the variance in sustainable development outcomes (R² = 0.757), indicating strong explanatory power. The study concludes that voluntary ethical principles, particularly moral standards, fairness, and business integrity, are more influential in promoting sustainable development than legal adherence alone. It recommends that entrepreneurs, policymakers, and entrepreneurship support institutions strengthen ethical leadership, stakeholder fairness, and integrity-based business practices to accelerate SDG achievement within Nigerian entrepreneurial ecosystems. | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | self | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Adebayo, A. A. (2026). Ethical Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Evidence from Nigerian Entrepreneurial Ecosystems. Electronic Journal of Business and Management (EJBM), Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), Malaysia, 11(3), 1-22 | |
| dc.identifier.issn | doi: https://doi.org/10.65136/ejbm.v11i3.266 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://kwasuspace.kwasu.edu.ng/handle/123456789/7627 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | . Electronic Journal of Business and Management (EJBM), Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU), Malaysia | |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 11; 3 | |
| dc.title | Ethical Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS): Evidence from Nigerian Entrepreneurial Ecosystems | |
| dc.type | Article |