Managerial Soft Skills, Islamic Ethics, and the Economic Growth of Moroccan SMEs: Conceptual framework proposition

Abstract

Despite growing recognition of the role of managerial soft skills in SME performance, their articulation with the Islamic work ethic and SME economic growth remains scarcely documented, particularly in the Moroccan context. This article aims to address this theoretical gap by proposing a conceptual model explaining the influence of managerial soft skills on the economic growth of Moroccan SMEs, while examining the moderating role of the Islamic work ethic, based on a narrative review of the literature.

The proposed model, articulated through three research hypotheses, posits that managerial soft skills positively contribute to SME growth and that the Islamic work ethic strengthens this relationship by guiding the responsible and consistent application of managerial competencies. By integrating strategic, behavioral, ethical, and entrepreneurial perspectives, the article develops a contextualized framework for understanding how managerial competencies may contribute to the growth of Moroccan SMEs, paving the way for future empirical validation using a mixed-methods approach among SME managers.

Classification JEL : J24, Z12, O40, L25.

Paper type : Theoretical Research