Critical success factors of agri-business incubators and their impact on business performance

The objective of the present study is to relate the critical success factors (CSFs) for agribusiness incubation with business performance. The seven CSFs considered for agri-business incubation are: MI: Clear and Unambiguous mission; EE: Entry and Exit policy; NW: Networking Strategy; AS: Assessment process of the tenant in BI; FC: Facilities provided to tenant firms; SC: Services offered to the tenant firms; and MS: Manager's skill, experience and expertise. The data collected from 60 Business Incubations in India and PLS has been used for thorough analysis for the proposed model with relating Agri-business CSFs with Business performance. The results of Structural Equation modeling highlight that the outcome of business performance varies significantly with Facilities, Networking, and Services. Managerial Skills mediate between Assessment and Business Incubation performance. MI: Clear and Unambiguous mission has also emerged as significant CSF influencing BI performance in agri-business. Entry and Exit policy has a lower path coefficient, but it is significant. This study highlights that Entry and Exit policy needs to be improved, while services, networking and facilities may be enhanced for improving performance in Agri-Business.