Firm Risk Management and Firm Performance by the Role of Competitive Advantage and Financial Literacy

Important changes in business environment and acceleration of technological change have made the business environment very complex and uncertain. Risk management is one of the solutions for companies to deal with uncertainty in the business environment, which has an effective role in maintaining and improving efficiency and effectiveness and, consequently, improving company performance. In addition, risk management is an important factor in controlling costs and diversification product and, consequently, achieving competitive advantage that leads to better performance. However, presence of financially educated managers (financial literacy of managers) in the risk management process facilitates achieving competitive advantage and better performance. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between enterprise risk management and company performance with mediating role of competitive advantage and moderating role of financial literacy in manufacturing firms of Yazd industrial town. Data were collected using questionnaire and analyzed by structural equation modeling. The results of 220 completed questionnaires show that the relationship between competitive advantage and company performance is not statistically significant, but risk management has a positive and significant relationship with competitive advantage and company performance. Also, the relationship between financial literacy and competitive advantage is positive and significant. The mediating role of competitive advantage in the relationship between risk management and company performance is not confirmed, but the moderating role of financial literacy in the relationship between risk management and competitive advantage is accepted.