Do international resources configure SMEs' sustainable performance in the digital era? Evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

This study examines the impact of international resources on sustainable performance through the mediating role of green entrepreneurial orientation. In emerging economies, the business sector, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), has a number of obstacles, including a lack of resources, financial support, and professional skills. Furthermore, SMEs depend on international resources to compete in an unpredictable industry in the long term. A structured questionnaire survey was undertaken to collect data from 380 Pakistani SMEs in order to preserve the productive insights. For data processing, a hybrid partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique was used. The findings show that financial resources have a favorable and substantial influence on SMEs' long-term performance, but technical resources have no meaningful impact on SMEs' long-term performance. Furthermore, green entrepreneurial approach somewhat mediators the association between financial resources and long-term success while totally mediating the link between technical resources and long-term performance. Finally, we run a sensitivity analysis to confirm our results. The ANN design explains 71% of the suggested model's accuracy. This report offers significant advice to managers, politicians, and other stakeholders about the importance of international resources and competencies. It is advised that the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Authority (SMEDA) and the government of Pakistan concentrate more on these chances for long-term performance in order to compete in the worldwide market.