Factors Affecting Small and Micro Enterprise Performance with the Mediating Effect of Government Support: Evidence from the Amhara Region Ethiopia
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Title: Factors Affecting Small and Micro Enterprise performance with the mediating Effect of Government support: Evidence from the Amhara Region Ethiopia
The MS is about the “Factors Affecting Small and Micro Enterprise performance with the mediating Effect of Government support”. This is an interesting research subject in Ethiopia ecosystem and well backed up with references to previous literature, comprehensive statement, good writing, analysis and justification. However, some points of view are missing. For example, discussion is not properly justified and extremely repeated the results. So, to address an executive solution for make sense for the international readers I would recommend to discuss more about applied comments for the government and decision maker, as the results also highlighted.
In overall, I am recommending the article for publishing in Journal of sustainability after minor revision as presented in bellow.
Regards,
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Abstract:
It’s unusual to write about software; I would recommend to briefly highlight the methods.
Line20: Please do not use abbreviation for SMEs for the first time.
The abstract is not written good and usefully. Its better to address more about the key finding based on results statistically, and what’s your massage for decision makers and four groups of stakeholders.
You mentioned “to use the proposed recommendations”! where is that?
Introduction:
The introduction is written comprehensively and usefully. However, introduction is too long and needs to be shorten. Please avoid general information.
Why Amhara region is important? Please give more information.
Line 36-37: Please give more references to support statement.
Line 37-40: Please move it to the end of introduction before the objective of study.
Line49-50: Please give reference from World Bank to support statement.
Line 158-159: please convert the currency to USD.
- Research Methodology
Line 339-355: please avoid give general information. Just say about the methodology.
3.2. why don’t consider the interaction? And why you define equal weight for all variables?
- Results and Interpretations
Discussion is not properly justified and extremely repeated the results.
Government support as a mediator is highly emphasized. The authors must draw executive roadmap for decision maker as comments as the future plan.
Line 573: Table 6 ??????? Or 7 ????
Author Response
Dear Reviewer
Primarily, we would like to express our gratitude for providing us with the opportunity to revise our article, titled “Factors Affecting Small and Micro Enterprise performance with the mediating Effect of Government support: Evidence from the Amhara Region Ethiopia’’ for MDPI Sustainability Journal. We appreciate insightful comments and major improvements to our research article. We recognize your time, effort, critical and powerful criticisms, and clear guidance on our document. In addition, all of the questions, comments, and suggestions provided are very helpful in increasing the quality of our article journal.
Author Response File: 
Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 2 Report
The paper is indeed well written and has a clear structure.
My only hesitation- which I would like to be addressed and answered by the authors- is the research methodology design and implementation.
The conceptual model includes the variables of Government Support, Entrepreneur Competence, Microfinance, Infrastructure, and Entrepreneur training. The items described in table 1 are measuring employment growth, sales growth, capital growth, profit growth etc, are all metric variables which are not that suitable (according to my knowledge) for a SEM analysis.
an appendix with the questionnaire would help me significantly to understand the research implementation..
Regarding the correlations between the variables, I am also concerned about their extent. Correlations above 0.9 are somehow "suspicious" for collinearity effects, meaning (also according to my knowledge and please correct me if I am wrong) that there is no difference in the meaning between the variables.
Once more I would like to stress that the paper is very well written, has academic merit, and offers knowledge about the way government and MSMEs are co-existing, but it would be quite helpful to discuss the aforementioned subjects,
Author Response
Dear Reviewer First, we thank you for giving us the chance to revise our article, titled " Factors Affecting Small and Micro Enterprise performance with the mediating Effect of Government Support: Evidence from the Amhara Region Ethiopia for MDPI Journal of Sustainability. Furthermore, we appreciate your time, effort, critical and powerful criticisms, and valuable direction regarding our manuscript, which helps to improve the quality of or research article. Hence, all of the comments, suggestions, and questions provided are very significant for the overall improvement of the manuscript
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
Reviewer 3 Report
1.What questions have been formulated to recipients?I mean questions connected with the Indicator Items, pease, provide the list of questions.
2please,add: Cronbach's Alpha, rho_A, Composite Reliability, AVE
3 paper is not well written, although the variables are well justified, I would expect explanation why researchers from China are doing eresearch in Ethiopia
Comments for author File: Comments.pdf
Author Response
Dear Reviewer Thank you for giving us the opportunity to resubmit with a major revision of the manuscript entitled " Factors Affecting Small and Micro Enterprise performance with the Mediating Effect of Government Support: Evidence from the Amhara Region Ethiopia for MDPI Sustainability Journal. We appreciate your time, effort, critical and powerful criticisms on our manuscript for the insightful comments and significant improvements to our paper. Furthermore, all of the questions, comments, and suggestions provided are very valuable in improving the quality of our article
Author Response File: Author Response.pdf
