The Role of Accounting Information System and Knowledge Management to Enhancing Organizational Performance in Iraqi SMEs

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Iraq have experienced low performance due to the limited usage of accounting information systems (AIS) and the inability to exploit knowledge of management capabilities (KMC). These deficiencies have led to competitive pressures in the marketplace that have adversely affected their sales and production. This study investigates the role of AIS in terms of operation support, knowledge support, regulatory support, and the role of KMC, including knowledge acquisition, knowledge transfer, and knowledge utilized to enhance organizational performance in Iraqi SMEs. The target population was managers and owners in SMEs using AIS in Iraq's cities. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data, and self-administered printed questionnaires were distributed to the SME managers and owners; 236 questionnaires were used for analysis. Partial least squares was used to examine the role of AIS and the meditation of KMC through second-order analysis. The results showed that AIS and KMC have a positive and significant role in enhancing organizational performance. The study also found that KMC partially mediated between AIS and organizational performance. The findings show that managers and owners of SMEs should focus on AIS and pay more attention to KMC to improve organizational performance.