Investigating the Mediating Role of Operations Strategy in the Technology Capability-Firm Performance Relationship in Nigerian Manufacturing

This dissertation investigates the mediating role of operations strategy in the relationship between technology capabilities and firm performance in Nigerian manufacturing, contributing an original theoretical model and empirical evidence to a debate in the operations management literature where the mechanisms linking technology investment to performance outcomes remain incompletely specified. Existing theoretical treatments largely treat operations strategy as an exogenous given rather than as an active mediating mechanism that translates technological capability into competitive performance, and virtually no empirical studies have examined this mediation relationship in the Nigerian manufacturing context. This research develops an original tripartite mediation model specifying three operations strategy dimensions, namely process innovation orientation, quality management infrastructure, and supply chain coordination capability, as serial mediators between technology capability and firm performance. The model is tested using a national survey dataset collected from four hundred and twelve manufacturing firms across all six geopolitical zones, employing partial least squares structural equation modelling with bootstrapped mediation tests. Original findings confirm full serial mediation through process innovation orientation and quality management infrastructure, with partial mediation through supply chain coordination capability. Boundary condition analysis reveals that the mediation strength is significantly moderated by industry turbulence and firm age, providing nuanced prescriptive guidance for manufacturing strategists in different Nigerian industrial environments. Keywords: operations strategy, technology capability, firm performance, mediation analysis, Nigerian manufacturing