The persistent challenge of micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) stagnation in sub-Saharan Africa necessitates robust diagnostic tools. In Mozambique, despite policy initiatives, a significant gap exists in frameworks that systematically analyse enterprise constraints and link diagnostics to actionable growth pathways. This article develops a novel theoretical framework for enterprise diagnostics and growth, tailored to the Mozambican context. It aims to synthesise existing business development theories into an integrated model that identifies critical constraint domains and proposes a staged progression for intervention. The study employs a desk-based, conceptual research methodology. It constructs a theoretical framework through a critical synthesis and logical deduction from established management and development economics literature, contextualised using secondary data on the Mozambican business environment. The framework posits that financial access alone is insufficient; a hierarchy of five interdependent constraints—institutional, managerial, market, technological, and financial—must be addressed sequentially. A central proposition is that managerial capabilities, particularly in basic record-keeping, underpin approximately 70% of subsequent growth interventions' effectiveness. The proposed framework offers a structured, context-sensitive lens for analysing MSME challenges, moving beyond fragmented diagnostic approaches. It provides a theoretical foundation for policymakers and support agencies to design coherent, multi-stage enterprise development programmes. Future empirical research should operationalise and test the framework's diagnostic indicators. Policymakers are urged to adopt integrated support programmes that prioritise foundational managerial skill development before scaling advanced financial or technological interventions. enterprise diagnostics, growth constraints, theoretical framework, MSME development, business support, Mozambique This paper's novel contribution is the development of an integrated, hierarchical constraint model that sequences intervention domains, offering a new theoretical mechanism for targeting enterprise support in complex African economies.
Macuácua et al. (2016) studied this question.