The mediating role of accounting information systems in small and medium enterprise strategies and organizational performance in Iraq

This paper examined accounting information systems (AIS) as a mediator between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) strategies, including (finance source, administrative innovation, organizational culture, developing capabilities levels of SMEs, information source, development of business managers, and technological innovation) and organizational performance. In this quantitative study, 450 self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the managers and owners of SMEs using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) method via SmartPLS3 Software. The study offers empirical findings on the importance of AIS as a mediator, considers various factors, and provides clear strategies for better work performance. The study confirmed that the SMEs’ strategy and the use of an AIS significantly and positively affected SMEs’ organizational performance, while AIS use partially mediated between SMEs’ strategy and organizational performance. This result confirms that an SME can enhance its performance by using AIS. AIS can support organizational performance through an SME strategy, avoid human errors, provide cost-against-time savings, and assist in timely internal decision-making considering long-term benefits. However, the results may not reflect the actual performance situation and cannot be generalized to all provinces or other countries because environments differ.