Enhancing Business Performance in Culinary MSMEs: The Mediating Role of Job Training in the Relationship Between Work Resilience and Work Experience

This study investigates the effects of work resilience, work experience, and job training on business performance among Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the culinary sector of Banda Aceh, Indonesia. The culinary sector was selected due to its dominant role in the local economy, accounting for 32.83% of all MSMEs in the city. Using a quantitative explanatory approach, data were collected from 196 managerial respondents through structured questionnaires. The analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that both work resilience and work experience have significant and positive direct effects on business performance. Moreover, job training not only directly enhances performance but also mediates the relationships between resilience and experience with performance. These findings suggest that resilient and experienced business actors are more likely to engage in training, which in turn strengthens their ability to manage, adapt, and grow their businesses effectively. Although the effect sizes for resilience were relatively small, the indirect effects through training were statistically significant. This study contributes to the literature by emphasizing the role of individual psychological and experiential factors in MSME performance, with job training acting as a strategic lever for capability development. The findings offer practical implications for MSME development programs, particularly in designing tailored training interventions that align with the psychological and experiential profiles of entrepreneurs. Limitations include the study’s cross-sectional nature and geographic focus, which restricts generalizability. Future research is encouraged to apply longitudinal methods across varied MSME sectors.