SMEs Internal Determinants and its Sustainability Performance Among SMEs in Akwa Ibom State and Lagos State, Nigeria

The study aims to examine SMEs internal determinants and its’ sustainability performance in Akwa Ibom State and Lagos State, Nigeria. The study’s philosophy centres on quantitative, questionnaires were adopted and 650 questionnaires were distributed for self-completion, and 600 were completed and returned. Both SPSS and SmartPLS were adopted for descriptive statistic, path regression and hypotheses testing. The study outcome posits that founder entrepreneurial leadership attribute have strongly correlated with economic sustainability, internal and external social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance. Founder’s entrepreneurial human capital showed a positive significant interrelation with internal social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance, whereas insignificant relationship with economic sustainability performance and external social sustainability performance. Founder’s entrepreneurial social capital showed a strong interconnection with economic sustainability performance; external social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance, and negatively related to internal social sustainability performance. The study’s contributed to existing knowledge and managerial implications, limitations, and future direction and study are described.


Introduction
SMEs' performance has created a vast amount of discussion among practitioners, researchers and policymakers (Kossyva et al., 2015;Ritala et al., 2016;Soundararajan et al., 2018).The SMEs performance determinant have been and always will be a centre of debate and interest among scholars (Kull et al., 2018;Amrina et al., 2021).SME's sustainability is accomplished via the equilibrium performance of economic, social, and environmental elements (Yusoff et al., 2018;Cantele & Zardini, 2018;Oláh et al., 2019).However, economic elements are designated through profitability, liquidity, solvency, aptitude expression of market variations, and competition.Internal and external social elements evaluate the role of SMEs essential dividend and impactful to both workforce, general public, grassroots lives, as well as bundle offers in regard to product quality for customer, shows of concerns, manpower wellbeing and welfare, and interest in the labour matters.The environmental elements concern with business's sustainability goals, and minimizing the environmental effect of its business activities (Yusoff et al., 2018;Cantele & Zardini, 2018;Oláh et al., 2019;Horvathova & Mokrisova, 2020).
Entrepreneurship has become mainstream news in this modern-day economy, society and environment in relation to human need sustainability.As a result, the importance of SMEs in today's world cannot be overemphasized in terms of national economic growth and development.It has been suggested by several scholars that SMEs are the pillar of industrialization and economic advancement through the creation of novel jobs opportunity for the community, GDP and international business (Eniola & Entebang, 2015A, 2015B, 2016. 2017, Eniola et al., 2015;Arisi-Nwugballa et al., 2016;Duarte et al., 2016;Peter, et al. 2018).Because SMEs are perceived as an economic catalyst with the ability to enhance, sustain and stabilize the economy even in the face of economic meltdown (SMEDAN, 2013;Eniola & Ektebang, 2015;Adegboye & Iweriebor, 2018).
Internal determinants (founder's entrepreneurial leadership, human capital and social capital) are critical and navigating-factor of the SMEs sustainability performance (Peace et al., 2017;Obed et al., 2018;Jamal & Chellakan, 2020).Internal factors take the form of overall firm management, internal capabilities, which translate to creativity and innovativeness enhance SMEs' sustainability (Ibidunni et al., 2020;Ofobruku, 2018).Specifically, in this research, founder's entrepreneurial leadership attributes, human capital and social capital have been noted from earlier studies to influence the adaptability, creativity, and innovativeness of SMEs, leading to strategic competitive advantages over the competitors (Yadav, et al., 2018).Therefore, the absence of entrepreneurial leadership attribute, human capital and social capital pose a threat to SME performance and significantly impacted on SME sustainability performance (Muda & Rahman, 2016;Korsakienė et al., 2017;Buzavaite & Korsakiene, 2019;Demartini, & Beretta, 2020).
Based on previous literature and findings, this study aims at investigating the SMEs' internal determinants (founder's entrepreneurial leadership, human capital and social capital) and SMEs (economic, internal and external social, and environmental) sustainability performance in Akwa Ibom State and Lagos State, Nigeria.The study enriches the existing body of knowledge in regard to the founder's entrepreneurial leadership, human capital and social capital (internal determinants) and SMEs economic, internal and external social, and environmental sustainability performance.The chosen states are significantly and economically importance toward overall economic growth and development of Nigeria.

Literature Review and Hypotheses Development SMEs Internal Determinant Founder's Entrepreneurial Leadership Attributes
Studied have stated that leadership is a procedure whereby one person impacts others in an attempt to accomplish predetermined goals and objectives.Entrepreneurial leadership iterate building an entrepreneurial strategic direction (vision, mission, core value, goal and objective) and inspiring the crew member to outperform the firm strategic direction in the acceleration velocity (Rahmana et al., 2016a(Rahmana et al., , 2016b)).Leadership underpins a critical role in an SME's accomplishment and sustainable performance (Dana et al., 2021).
Entrepreneurial Leadership attributes consists of four main elements: proactivity, creativity, innovation and risk-taking (Renko et al., 2015;Bagheri, 2017;Leitch & Volery, 2017).Proactivity entails the ability to envision upcoming challenges, identify opportunities, actively influence and lead the upcoming rather than waiting to be impacted through the future (Renko et al., 2015;Leitch & Volery, 2017).Innovative is defined as the capability and propensity to think inventively, advance novel ideas, opportunities recognition, resources utilization, and problem solving (Chen & Nadkarni, 2017;Soomro et al., 2019) which posited unique characteristics that differentiate entrepreneurs form other people who want to be just owners (Harrison, et al. 2016;Soomro et al., 2019).Another study further described risktalking as the propensity of the decisional choice creator to undertake or circumvent risk.
The leadership attitudinal-behaviours of entrepreneurs are a criterion for the SMEs sustainability performance success (Kowo & Akinbola, 2019).SMEs' leaders play a pertinent role in navigating a business's prospective in creating innovation and decisional choices that entail building a conducive environment for crew member learning (Vargas et al., 2015;Liao et al., 2017).Arham et al ( 2013) study of kinds of leadership behaviours practiced in Malaysia.It was established that leadership impacted the achievement of SMEs performance.The study examined whether leadership attribute contributes to the success of Malaysian SMEs from the owner or strategic management viewpoints.Industrialists who exhibit effective leadership abilities tend to impact entrepreneurial achievement (sustainability performance) (Dzomonda et al., 2017;Madanchian & Taherdoost, 2017).Chung-Wen (2008) argued that entrepreneurial leadership styles have a significant effect on the SMEs' performance and implementation of entrepreneurial orientation which eventually translates to the SMEs' sustainability (Rahim et al., 2016).The author argued that the entrepreneurial firm leadership among those fast, adapts and motivates employees to do so (Choongo et al., 2019).Mokhber et al (2016) concludes that a founder's entrepreneurial leadership attributes significantly enhance SMEs' innovativeness (Purwati et al., 2021).Emezi et al (2021) posit the outcomes of positive and significant relationship which exists between founder's entrepreneur leadership style and SMEs survival.Mgeni's (2015) study results indicated a strong and impactful relationship between founder's entrepreneurial leadership style and SME performance (Mgeni & Nayak, 2015).Naushad's (2021) study outcome indicated that founder's entrepreneurial leadership style is a crucial device for owners/managers of the SMEs segment who aim to advance the responsibilities efficacy and circumstantial performance.Based on the above past studies, this research conceptually proposes the following hypothesis H1a: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial leadership attribute and SMEs' economic sustainability performance.H1b: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial leadership attribute and the SMEs' internal social sustainability performance.H1c: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial leadership attribute and the SMEs' external social sustainability performance.H1d: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial leadership attribute and the SMEs' environment sustainability performance

Entrepreneurial Human Capital and the SME Sustainability
Entrepreneurial human capital is the primary source of energy or force that any organization needs to perform and accomplish the predetermined performance.A study concluded that human capital through human resource practices encourages employee discretionary behaviours, knowledge transfers as well as organizational learning which contributes to the SME's performances and Sustainability (Hubner & Baum, 2018).Muda and Rahman (2016);Petrov, et al (2020) concluded that the employees are the engine room of the SMEs and they are in charge of developing and maintaining organization capital.The study findings reveal that Human capital in the SMEs function in a different manner compared to larger firms, moreover, the authors acknowledged that the level of knowledge sharing among the SMEs is high as such the SMEs' managers are encouraged to tap into these assets to enhance the SMEs' performance and innovativeness (Godelytė & Korsakiene, 2015;Tomšič, et al., 2015;Kragulj, 2017;Qamariah & Muchtar, 2019;Ramos-González, et al., 2022).Evidence from prior studies pointed to the fact that founder's human capital has a significant relationship which contributes in ensuring growth, performance, and sustainability of the SMEs.Hayton (2003) concluded a significant contribution of founder's human capital in the decisional-making process (Kuratko et al., 2015).While Desouza and Awazu (2006) argued that employees are the primary resources contributing toward SME sustainability performance (Muda & Rahman, 2016).
Lussiers and Pfeifer (2001) stated that education aids in the SMEs achievement through empowering the nourishment of capabilities such as innovativeness and capability to attain resources.The study established that entrepreneurs with higher education levels and experiences have more positive and significant experience than entrepreneurs with a lack of education and experiences (Halabí & Lussier, 2014;Hyder & Lussier, 2016).Thapa's (2015) study reinforced the fact that education has a strong impact on the SMEs actualization and sustainable performance (Hosseininia & Ramezani, 2016).The study suggested that human capital impact consistence and the novel SMEs' survival could be a function of both economic growth and development performance, and threshold influence, which is posited as the minimum level of performance an entrepreneur will accept in order to exist (Okurut, et al., 2016).Levy and Sharma (1994) submitted that higher education does not aid salespeople to become more skilful in the sales process, but leads to the achievable SMEs' performance and sustainable performance results (Kimura et al., 2019;Alavi et al., 2019).Rose, et al (2006) showed that education, talents, experiences and financial support pose as utmost significant determinants affecting the achievement of SMEs' sustainable performance (Oyeku, et al., 2014;Isaga, 2015).
Prior job experience could either possess a positive or negative significant effect on entrepreneur's performance and sustainable performance (Mom et al., 2015).For a reason that experience can either aid the manager to avoid upcoming problems or promptly resolve prior and immediate challenges.Experience can also retard the degree of imagination and adaptability of entrepreneurs by assertive stick to solutions that have been tried and tested previously (Yeboah, 2021).Studies of the influence of past work experience in SMEs creation and finding show that experience has a positive impact on growth (Beattie, 2016;Bruwer & Smith, 2018;Hutahayan, 2019).Other studies posited that job experience is painstaking a significant determinant in the SMEs' achievement, particularly if the experience is in the specific industrial sector of the proposed SMEs' ventures (Hanifzadeh, et al. 2018;Srikalimah, et al. 2020).Apparently, Changati (1998) study depicted negative effect of prior job experience on the SMEs growth (Nyoni & Bonga, 2018).
Anugwu et al ( 2021) study verified that founder's human capital development aids in enhancing the performance of the SMEs organization through training of workforce into higher performance-efficacy of the SMEs; advancing productivity of the SMEs; influencing the proactiveness of the employees; improving the tractability of the employees; and enhancing service delivery of the manpower.Onyeukwu and Jekelle (2019) study posited results that, mentoring and founder's human capital development has a strong and noteworthy impact on the SMEs' sustainability of the small family owner organizations.Yuji-Honjo (2021) study depicted that start-up organizations steered via entrepreneurial inventors hypothetically apply and utilize equity resources funding than debt funding.Hui Zheng, et al (2021) study revealed that the founder-CEO prestige and the legitimacy of third-party signals are pertinent to attain the support of venture capital.Latifi-Mustafa and Havolli, (2020) expert background of the founders, the size of the SMEs structure, the founder's experience in the field mostly where the SME is established, the age at the time of SMEs are founded, the influence on technology significantly relate to the SMEs' sustainable performance.Farace and Mazzotta, (2015) study approved that the founder's human capital of entrepreneur's and employees strongly and significantly relate to the SMEs sustainable innovative knowledge, production chains and external network.In view of the above, the researcher conceptually proposes the following hypothesis H2a: There is a positive significant relationship between entrepreneurial human capital and SMEs' economic sustainability performance.H2b: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial human capital and the SMEs' internal social sustainability performance.H2c: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial human capital and the SMEs' external social sustainability performance.H2d: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial human capital and the SMEs' environment sustainability performance.
Founder's Social Capital Loury (1977) introduced the concept of social capital, there has been significant interest, as seen by the rise in empirical research (Agyapong et al., 2017;Hernández-Carrión et al., 2017, 2020;Corrêa et al., 2021).A broad conception of social capital has arisen that shows it as assets of resources invested in relationships, despite the fact that it was originally defined as a relational resource of personal linkages that individuals employ for development (Agyapong et al., 2017;Hernández-Carrión et al., 2017, 2020;Corrêa et al., 2021).Entrepreneurial social capital is an intangible resource asset that only exists in the network of relationships between and among players like entrepreneurial human capital, which posited a crucial in the resource-gathering techniques and needed for the establishment and growth of new businesses because it develops via changes in relationships among individuals that promote action (Agyapong et al., 2017;Hernández-Carrión et al., 2017, 2020;Corrêa et al., 2021).Although the idea of entrepreneurial social capital is not new, its growing mainstream acceptance has brought attention to the value of social and civic traditions as well as the ways in which public policy may support and build them (Hoq et al., 2017).
Entrepreneurial social capital is the anticipated reciprocal and commercial economic rewards from beneficial behaviour and collaboration between individuals and groups (Appiah-Gyimah & Boohene, 2018Boohene, , 2020;;Boohene et al., 2020;Gamage et al., 2020).Entrepreneurial social capital plays a significant role in determining whether an organization has an advantage over its rivals, since they may access more useful information and limited resources earlier (Cardon et al., 2016).Entrepreneurial social capital is not static; rather, it has an overall impact on SMEs sustainability performance (Moran, 2015;Ben Hador et al., 2021).
Entrepreneur social capital as a set of relational resources that can assist business owners in resolving a variety of issues that arise during the start-up phase of new companies (Cardon et al., 2017;Xin, et al., 2020).The social relationships that enable entrepreneurs to acquire the material and intangible assets required for business performance are often referred to as social capital (Dai et al., 2015;Analia et al., 2020).Bhagavatula et al ( 2010), informal entrepreneurs can recognize business opportunities and mobilize both non-financial and financial resources by using the resources they have access to through their personal network and social connections (Dewantoro & Ellitan, 2021).Research has discovered connections between entrepreneurs' social capital and their business sustainability performance (Meitriana et al., 2022).Stam et al (2014) and other scholars have looked into the connection between social capital and organizational performance (Augusto Felício et al., 2014;Clarke et al., 2016;Pratono, 2018;Gamage et al., 2020).Additionally, a methodological gap was noted in earlier investigations.Examples of analytical techniques used in earlier research include meta-regression (Stam et al., 2014), ordinary least square regression (Agyapong et al., 2017), and hierarchical moderated regression analysis (Dai et al., 2015).In some additional investigations, the structural equation modelling (SEM) tool has also been used (Felício et al., 2014;Pratono, 2018).
Syed et al ( 2014) reconfirmed that positive and direct noteworthy association exist between founder's social capital and innovative capacity with SMEs sustainable growth.Tunjungsari et al (2020) established that there is strong and significant impact of sustainable attitude, social norms, and perceived desirability on sustainable entrepreneurship within s creative-industry of the SMEs.Khazami and Lakner's (2021) research posited strong and direct impact relationship exist between the social capital and functional capacities of the SMEs performance.Olav et al (2015) reinforced a progressive understanding of the interrelationship which exists between founders' social capital and the development of the SMEs' performance models.In view of the above review, entrepreneurial social capital demonstrated powerful navigator of SMEs' sustainability performance.As such, the following hypothesis is formulated for the study consideration H3a: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial social capital and the SMEs' economic sustainability performance.H3b: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial social capital and the SMEs' internal social sustainability performance.H3c: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial social capital and the SMEs' internal social sustainability performance.H3d: There is a positive significant relationship which exists between entrepreneurial social capital and the SMEs' environment sustainability performance.

Research Methodology
The prime study among SMEs in Akwa Ibom State and Lagos State, both in South-South and South West Geopolitical zone, Nigeria was embarking upon to accomplish the present research's goals.The study tool to evaluate SMEs internal and external determinant and SMEs sustainability performance was embraced from Gupta et al ( 2004) and such were founder entrepreneurial leadership attribute, founder entrepreneurial human capital, founder entrepreneurial social capital as well as government specific financial and non-financial resource, government specific policy and public infrastructure.While SMEs Sustainability constitute economic, internal and external social and environmental sustainability's.
The questionnaires were designed on five Likert scale ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree for the study consideration.Where 5 signifies "strongly agree" and 1 signifies strongly disagree in English language.The questionnaires were personally delivered to the 650 respondents working in various hierarchies such as owner, director, executive/manager and others in different SMEs sectors.Apparently, 600 responses were received and duly completed for analysis and reporting for the study consideration.The study adopted the use of SmartPLS for path coefficient analysis, bootstrapping, and others.

Structural Equation Measurement and Assessment Model
SmartPLS is a multivariate performance measuring tool Hair et al (2019) which concurrently assesses the assessment model in a study by relationship between exogenous and endogenous variables.The study assessment model is presented in figure 4.1 as constructed through SmartPLS.SmartPLS modelling is suitable for research involving complexity with various constructs (Henseler, 2017)

Construct Outer Loading
By analysing the standardized outer loadings of the observed variables, a single observed variable dependability can be used to represent the variance of an individual observed relative to an unobserved variable (Hair et al., 2019a(Hair et al., , 2019b(Hair et al., , 2019c(Hair et al., , 2020)).According to Hair et al (2019b), observed variables with an outer loading of 0.7 or higher are considered to be highly acceptable, whereas those with a value of less than 0.7 should be rejected (Chin, 1998;Henseler 2017aHenseler , 2017b;;Hair et al., 2019a).Despite this, the outer loading cut-off value acceptable for this investigation was 0.7.The outer loadings in Table 4 ranged from 0.708 to 0.990.Therefore, the factor loading is in-between 0.716 and 0.993, which signifies high factorization and significance, and as such, the outer factor loading is well accepted for the study consideration.

Construct Reliability
For the purpose of confirming reliability examinations of the study, construct variables were measured agreeing or basing on Henseler (2017a), which stipulates that items loading below 0.70 are well-thought-out as deprived, while items loadings above 0.70 are considered as worthy and accepted for the study consideration.The current study table 2 indicates the Cronbach Alpha standard values for the exact construct variables for this current research.The present findings demonstrated that for each exact variable Alpha standards for SMEs' internal and external determinants and sustainability performance are at the esteem satisfactory level, in which exceeding the 0.900 (Hair et al., 2014(Hair et al., , 2019a)).This ascertained that the items loading is effective and dependable, and as such, the research canister advanced for further investigation.

Construct Convergent validity
The investigator established the convergent validity which stipulated the degree and extend manifold or multiple items to assess the same concept are in covenant/treaty (Hair et al., 2014(Hair et al., , 2019a(Hair et al., , 2019c)).The investigator applied the path loadings, composite reliability and average variance extracted (AVE) to measure the convergent validity.The acceptable standard for loading is posited at 0.50 (significance level).The average variance extracted (AVE), which depicts the sum over degree of variance in indicators amounted for, by the latent constructs, are in the range of 0.732 to 0.955, which above the acceptable standard of 0.50 (Henseler, 2017a;2017b;Hair et al., 2019b).The intensity of the association is measured by the effect size, which reveals the relative level of the variation between the means (Kock, 2019).The recommended values of 0.02, 0.15, and 0.35 for effect size allow investigator to decide if the impacts indicated by the path coefficient are minor, medium, or big (Cohen, 1988;Henseler 2017aHenseler , 2017b;;Jain & Dasgupta, 2018;Hair et al., 2019a).The effect sizes of all the constructs are shown in Table 4.4, ranging from weak (0.000) to big (0.365).Nevertheless, the present study table demonstrates the calculated values ranging from 0.000 to 0.515, which represent minor, medium and big and therefore, it is accepted and reinforces the current study.The present study in line with the rule of thumb of R-square endogenous latent construct which stipulated that 0.67 as considerable, 0.33 reasonable and 0.19 as weak (Chin, 1998;Cohen, 1988;Henseler 2017;Hair et al., 2019).As indicated in table 4, the investigator established that the R-square standard for the economic sustainability (ES) performance is 0.526 and adjusted R-square is 0.521 (reasonable); internal social sustainability (ISS) performance is 0.866 and adjusted R-square is 0.864 (considerable) and external social sustainability (ESS) performance is 0.496 and adjusted R-square is 0.490 (reasonable) and environmental sustainability is 0.801 and adjusted R-square is 0.499 (considerable).The table above shows the R-square and adjusted R-square findings are acceptable for the study consideration.In confirming the present study, the investigators examined discriminant validity, which established the extends to which the examines are not a reflection of some others variables and it is demonstrated through the low relationships between the extend of the interest and the extends of others variables (Cohen, 1988;Henseler 2017;Hair et al., 2019, Kock, 2019).Table 4.6 shows the discriminant validity variables, which indicate that the squared relationships for respective variable are less than the square root of the average variance extracted through the indicators for each variable.This shows that these variables are within the satisfactory discriminant validity.Heterotrait-Monotrait correlations (i.e., the correlations of indicators within the same construct), HTMT is the average of the Heterotrait-Monotrait correlations (i.e., the correlations of indicators across constructs measuring distinct phenomena) (Henseler et al., 2015).When the HTMT value of two constructs' indicators is obviously lower than 1, this indicates that the two constructs are distinct from one another since their true correlation is not equal to 1 (Henseler et al., 2015).Table 5 demonstrates that all HTMT values between constructs are lower than 0.850.However, a more lenient standard (HTMT.90)accepts HTMT values above 0.850 but below 0.900 (Henseler et al., 2015).Therefore, discriminant validity has been established using the HTMT .85 and HTMT .90criteria.Partial least squares (PLS) can offer considerable contributory investigation in study arenas and it can be applied to run examination on the interrelationship between two variables (Hair et al., 2014(Hair et al., , 2019)).It is sophisticated technique to evaluate the information (Henseler 2017a(Henseler , 2017b;;Hair et al., 2019aHair et al., , 2019bHair et al., , 2019c)).Table 10 shows the path coefficients and hypotheses 1 analysis H1a, b, c & d.The outcome indicates that H1a shows that founder entrepreneurial leadership attribute and economic sustainability performance (ELA -> ES= β=0.349; t=3.854;P-value=0.000),which depicted positive and significant.While H1b, c & d: entrepreneurial leadership attribute have existing strong and significant interrelationship with internal social sustainability performance (ELA -> ISS= β=0.302; t=2.782;P-value=0.005);H1c indicated founder entrepreneurial leadership attribute have positive association with external social sustainability performance (ELA -> ESS== β=0.299; t=2.665;P-value=0.008),and H1d depicted entrepreneurial leadership attribute posit significant relationship with environmental sustainability performance (ELA -> ENVS= β=0.349; t=4.075;P-value=0.000)and therefore, H1a, b, c & d are accepted for current study in reinforcing the previous studies, which posited that the standardize beta coefficients are accepted for direct relationship between coefficient in respect to their comparative illuminating power of the endogenous.The scholars further specified that the impact is established through the decrease in beta coefficient and increase in coefficient of purpose (Chin, 1998;Cohen, 1988;Henseler 2017;Hair et al., 2019).The findings supported study by Strobl et al (2022), who claimed that entrepreneurial leadership attribute is positively influencing acquisition performance, which indirectly influences economic performance through returns on investment, sales, and equity (Nasiru et al., 2014;Hameed et al., 2015;Herlina et al., 2021aHerlina et al., , 2021b;;Strobl et al., 2022).Interesting research revealed that when businesses actively adopt sustainable practices, their economic performance improves.Also, the present study has reconfirmed the past studies whose claimed entrepreneurial leadership attribute positively links to internal and external social sustainability performance as well as environmental sustainability performance (Harrison et al., 2016;Anning-Dorson, 20121;Abdul-Rashid et al., 2017).

Construct Cross-Validated Redunancy and Cross-Validated Communality
Entrepreneurial human capital is projected by SMEs' economic sustainability performance, SMEs' internal social sustainability performance, SMEs external social sustainability and SMEs environmental sustainability performance.
The is segment presents the outcomes of hypothesis 2 (H2a, & c), which posit that entrepreneurial human capital is negative connection to SME economic sustainability performance and external social sustainability performance.The examination findings indicate that H2a indicated entrepreneurial human capital negatively associated with SMEs' economic sustainability performance (EHC -> ES = β=0.151;t=1.553;P-value<0.120).H2c Founder's entrepreneurial human capital negatively connected to SMEs' external social sustainability performance (EHC -> ESS = β=-0.034;t=0.302;P-value<0.763);Founder's entrepreneurial human capital is positively associated with SMEs' internal social sustainability performance (EHC -> ISS = β=0.572;t=5.163;P-value<0.000);and Founder's entrepreneurial human capital is strongly related with SMEs' environment sustainability performance (EHC -> ENVS = β=0.493;t=5.653;P-value<0.000)and in this respect, H2a, b, c and d are both recognized for the study consideration.The present study reconfirming study by Felcio et al., (2012), who findings show that the main factor has a strong correlation with variables like experience, professional proficiency, and cognitive ability, which are the main traits of the entrepreneur, as well as status variables like interlinking, family support, personal relationships, and social relationships in regard to economic, internal and external social and environmental sustainability performance (Ojokuku & Sajuyigbe, 2015;Suroso & Anggraeni, 2017;Onyeukwu & Jekelle, 2019;Anugwu et al., 2021;Chika & Chike, 2021).The present study concur study by Farace & Mazzotta (2015), which the findings show that networks within a company as well as the human capital of entrepreneurs and employees have a beneficial impact on innovation, and that the production chain of a company is the most significant external network (internal and external social sustainability) in terms of knowledge and innovation (Ngatno & Apriatni, 2016;Monametsi et al., 2018;Marijana et al., 2020).
Entrepreneurial social capital is predictable by SMEs' economic sustainability performance, SMEs' internal social sustainability performance, SMEs external social sustainability and SMEs environmental sustainability performance.
This section offering the results findings of the hypothesis 3 (H3a, b, c and d), which state that entrepreneurial social capital is positively interconnected with SME economic sustainability performance, SMEs external social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance.while entrepreneurial social capital is negative interrelated with SMEs' internal social sustainability performance.Based on the examination, outcomes indicate that H3a entrepreneurial social capital strongly interrelationship with SMEs' economic sustainability performance (ESC -> ES = β=0.602;t=22.753;P-value<0.000);H3c entrepreneurial social capital is positively interconnected with SMEs' internal social sustainability performance (ESC -> ESS = β=0.455;t=18.264;P-value<0.000);and H3d founder entrepreneurial social capital is positively related to SMEs environmental sustainability performance (ESC -> ENVS = β=0.099;t=3.950;P-value<0.000).while H3b entrepreneurial social capital is poorly interconnected with SMEs' external social sustainability performance (ESC -> ISS =β=0.007;t=0.275;P-value<0.784).As such, the both H3a, c and d are acceptable.Whereas, H3b is unrecognized for the current study consideration.The present study significant evidence portrays industrialize and effective power of founder social capital toward achieving SMEs' sustainability (economic, external social and environmental sustainability performance) (Gligor et al., 2013;Zhao & Burt, 2018;Prokop et al., 2019;Golgeci & Kuivalainen, 2020;Mubarik et al., 2021;Zhang et al., 2021;Sutikno et al., 2022).The findings further highlight the crucial roles that social capital and innovation play in the development of manufacturing and in emerging economies and the necessity for managers and owners of these companies to pay attention to and take advantage of these ideas (Jafri et al., 2014;David, 2017;Gomes & Kuehn, 2017;Adebayo & Ismaila, 2019;Qin & Kong, 2021;Khazami & Lakner's, 2021).

Conclusion and Recommendation for Further Study
SMEs' sustainability performance is without a doubt the main focus of national and international attention in the corporate landscape of the twenty-first century.This phenomenon raises questions about how entrepreneurial owners can inspire their followers or employees' to take advantage of business opportunities in order to achieve sustainable performance (economic, environmental, internal and external social performance), as well as whether founder's entrepreneurial leadership attribute, founder's entrepreneurial human capital, and founder's entrepreneurial social capital helps to strengthen the relationship between these factors within Nigerian SMEs sector.
The study outcome posits that founder entrepreneurial leadership attribute have strongly correlated with economic sustainability, internal and external social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance.Founder's entrepreneurial human capital showed a positive significant interrelation with internal social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance, whereas insignificant relationship with economic sustainability performance and external social sustainability performance.Founder's entrepreneurial social capital showed a strong interconnection with economic sustainability performance; external social sustainability performance and environmental sustainability performance, and negatively related to internal social sustainability performance.
The overall results show that the entrepreneurial leadership attribute, entrepreneurial human capital, and entrepreneurial social capital and SMEs economic, internal and external social and environmental sustainability performance represent a fascinating field of research and practice, necessitating additional study to fully grasp their significant influence on SMEs sustainability performance.As a result, the development of skills, leadership attribute, and social affiliations are crucial initial step towards commercial success for SME owners or leaders.This study aims to lay a strong theoretical and empirical foundation for this field of study.Future research on these fascinating and crucial subjects, namely entrepreneurial leadership attributes, entrepreneurial human capital, and entrepreneurial social capital determinants that depend on SMEs economic, internal and external social and environmental and sustainable performances.Others area such as information technology, corporate governance, creativity and innovativeness could be considering for further study.

ELA=Entrepreneurial Leadership Attribute; EHC=Entrepreneurial Human Capital, ESC=Entrepreneurial Social Capital; ES=Economic Sustainability Performance; ISS=Internal Social Sustainability Performance; ESS=External Social Sustainability Performance; ENVS=Environment Sustainability Performance. Constructs Outer Loading, Composite Reliability and Validity (Average Variance Extracted
as thus: Figure 1: Structural Equation Model (Assessment Model)