Entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance: an empirical study of tech startups in emerging economies

Alegre, J., & Chiva, R. (2013). Linking entrepreneurial orientation and organizational learning capability to innovation performance. Journal of Business Research, 9(3), 430-450. Amin, M., & Rahmawati, S. (2020). The effect of entrepreneurial orientation on innovation performance. . Asian Journal of Innovation and Policy, 3(1), 3-18. Bai, C. R., J. . (2016). Exploring the relationship between supply chain collaboration and innovation capabilities. Journal of Business Logistics, 37(2), 116-131. Barreto, L. S. (2024). Measuring innovation performance in small and medium enterprises: A unidimensional approach. Journal of Innovation Management, 21(3), 317-343. Carter, S. (2023). Entrepreneurial behaviors and innovation in small businesses. Small Business Economics, 45(4), 23-38. Cuthbertson, R. F., P. I. (2022). Supply chain innovations and firm performance: The moderating role of industry dynamism. Industrial Marketing Management, 8(2), 25-37. Gao, T., Tang, X., Wang, X., & Chen, L. (2017). Supply chain innovation and performance: Evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms. International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 37(10), 1457-1474. Ghobadi, S. (2023). The role of entrepreneurial orientation in organizational resilience. Journal of Entrepreneurship Research, 35(2), 145-162. Hilmersson, M. (2014). The effects of entrepreneurial orientation on firm performance. Entrepreneurship Research Journal, 4(2), 167-190. Malacina, R. T., A. (2022). Innovations in supply chain systems: Drivers and challenges. Operations and Supply Chain Management Journal, 15(3), 51-62. Mingyue Fan, Q., Wang, X., & Liu, S. (2021). Entrepreneurial orientation and SME innovation performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 59(4), 134-152. Mittal, S., Khan, M. A., Romero, D., & Wuest, T. (2018). A critical review of smart manufacturing & Industry 4.0 maturity models: Implications for SMEs. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 49(1), 194-214. Müller, R., Pemsel, S., & Shao, J. . (2021). Supply chain integration and Industry 4.0: Impacts on innovation and firm performance. Journal of Cleaner Production, 34(2), 256-270. Ndubisi, N. O. I., K. (2012). Relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, innovation, and firm performance. Journal of Business Research, 65(4), 673-678. Purnomo, H., Kusumaningtyas, N., & Nugroho, A. (2022). Exploring the role of entrepreneurial orientation in SMEs innovation. International Journal of Innovation, Creativity, and Change, 17(2), 45-58. Putra, A. A. (2021). Pengaruh Integrasi Supply Chain (Sci) Terhadap Kinerja Operasional Umkm Di Kabupaten Bantul. Rosenbusch, N., Brinckmann, J., & Bausch, A. (2011). Is innovation always beneficial? A meta-analysis of the relationship between innovation and performance in SMEs. Journal of Business Venturing, 26(4), 761-787. Sarsah, S. A., Boafo, A. J., & Kwesi, B. (2020). Entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance in emerging markets. International Business Research, 13(3), 12-25. Tajeddini, K., Ratten, V., & Denisa, M. (2020). Revisiting the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance in SMEs. Journal of Small Business Economics, 39(5), 945-962. Tambunan, T. (2019). Development of SMEs in ASEAN with a focus on Indonesia. Journal of Southeast Asian Economies, 38(3). Wang, Y., Zhang, S., & Liu, Y. (2017). The role of entrepreneurial orientation in dynamic business environments. Journal of Business Strategy, 38(3), 49-57. Wong, W., Tan, F., & Lee, K. (2016). Assessing the impact of supply chain innovation on performance: Evidence from SMEs. Journal of Supply Chain Management, 47(3), 89-105.

Organizational Learning Ability (OLA) and innovation performance playing a mediating role in the Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and firm performance, as per this research. Results also suggest that EO improves OLA and innovation performance, which in turn improves firm performance. Innovation performance performs as a mediating variable between EO and firm performance. Our findings make an important contribution to the recent extension of the EO–firm performance research stream focusing on the intermediate links between EO and firm performance. In this paper, we also suggest that the relationship between EO and innovation performance cannot studied ?as a direct relationship, but it is also conditional or dependent on OLA, the organizational factors that facilitate the organizational learning process. EO is a managerial attitude that must be support by certain organizational conditions that facilitate learning and have positive implications for performance. The results support our conceptual model and show its utility in illustrating differences in intra-industry firm performance.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the setting of Jordanian SMEs, and to empirically examine the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and its dimensions, namely innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness, and innovative performance. As a result, data were gathered through a questionnaire survey given to 361 managers/owners of SMEs in Jordan, with a specific emphasis on those based in Zarqa city. 221 questionnaire surveys were recovered and declared suitable for analysis out of the 361 disseminated. IBM SPSS Statistics 22 was used in analysis of the data. The findings indicate that entrepreneurial orientation does have a significantly positive link with innovative performance. However, the entrepreneurial orientation aspects of innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness were shown to have a negligible influence on innovative performance. According to these findings, the researcher suggests that Jordanian SMEs prioritize the entrepreneurial orientation aspects explored in this study in order to strengthen their entrepreneurial culture and innovative performance.KeywordsInnovative performanceEntrepreneurial orientationSMEsJordan

PurposeDigital technologies have transformed business management practices and adapted them to shorter product lifecycles. As a result, firms are shifting their approach to building new competitive advantage from cost-oriented to entrepreneurial orientation (EO). This study aims to analyze the innovation performance (IP) in the context of EO from a knowledge management perspective. It constructs the functional path of the relationships among EO, knowledge coupling (KC) and IP of Chinese manufacturing firms to achieve business success.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from 157 listed Chinese manufacturing firms from 2012 to 2021, the authors construct a panel data model to test the effect of EO on IP. This study classifies KC into existing knowledge coupling (EKC) and new and existing knowledge coupling (NKC) and analyzes their mediating effects in the above relationships.FindingsThis study finds that EO has an insignificant, inverted U-shaped relationship with IP. Both EKC and NKC have a significant, inverted U-shaped relationship with IP; in other words, if EKC and NKC increase, the IP of Chinese manufacturing firms first increases and then decreases, and EKC and NKC have a complete mediating effect on the relationship between EO and IP.Originality/valueThis study provides an in-depth analysis of IP from an EO perspective. The study’s findings enrich and extend the theoretical relationship between EO and IP. The authors also propose a knowledge management perspective for entrepreneurship research. These findings improve the current understanding of the role and function of KC in EO.

When Is Open Innovation Beneficial? The Role of Strategic Orientation

Business ties, political ties, and innovation performance in Chinese industrial firms: The role of entrepreneurial orientation and environmental dynamism

External collaboration is an effective way for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve innovation performance and obtain sustainable competitiveness. This study focuses on the influence of external collaboration on innovation performance of SMEs. Specifically, this study classifies external collaboration into formal and informal external collaboration, and explores their different impacts on innovation performance of SMEs, respectively. Moreover, this study examines the moderating effects of managers’ entrepreneurial orientation and organizational legitimacy on the relationships between formal and informal collaboration and innovation performance of SMEs. Survey data from 213 high-tech manufacturing SMEs in China reveals that: (1) Both formal and informal external collaboration have positive effects on innovation performance of SMEs, and informal external collaboration offers greater benefits than formal external collaboration; (2) managers’ entrepreneurial orientation positively moderates the relationship between informal external collaboration and SMEs’ innovation performance; (3) organizational legitimacy positively moderates the relationships between formal and informal external collaboration and SMEs’ innovation performance. This study enriches the research on the relationship between external collaboration and innovation performance of SMEs, and advances the understanding of the contextual factors between formal and informal external collaboration-SMEs’ innovation performance relationships through elucidating the moderating role of managers’ entrepreneurial orientation and organizational legitimacy.

The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, innovation performance, and firm performance has attracted the attention of many researchers. However, there is a lack of research on the mediating role of innovation performance on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and firm performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of innovation performance on the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance and between social capital and firm performance. The study involves a questionnaire-based survey of managers from a variety of firms operating in Turkey. A total of 665 surveys from 298 firms were received and subjected to structural equation modelling analyses. We find that: (1) entrepreneurial orientation and social capital affect innovation performance, (2) innovation performance affects firm performance, and (3) innovation performance mediates the relationship between social capital and firm performance, and between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance.

Entrepreneurial orientation has become an enormously significant construct in the innovation studies literature. Predominantly for SMEs, its role has been widely recognized in almost all regional contexts across the globe. The present study is aimed at investigating the effects of entrepreneurial orientation, transformational leadership and organizational commitment on innovation performance. The data for the present study were collected from 1095 employees working at various levels in SMEs. The present study used partial least square structural equation modeling to examine the constructed hypotheses. The findings suggested the significantly positive direct relationships among entrepreneurial orientations, organizational commitment and innovation performance. Besides, organizational commitment positively mediated the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance. Additionally, this study also found the significant moderation of transformational leadership among entrepreneurship orientation and organizational commitment. Leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises should practice entrepreneurial orientation (innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk-taking) and transformation leadership (articulating a compelling vision, focus on goal achievement, and creative problem solving) to enhance the innovation performance of their firms. Moreover, this study provides a robust mechanism for leaders at SMEs to develop strategies for enhancing the willingness of the firms to bring innovation and offer new products and services. The policymakers should enhance the emotional attachment of employees with their firms, sense of moral obligation to remain with the firm which will, in turn, increase the organizational commitment of employees for innovation performance. The study provides empirical evidence to the resource-based view in the context of SMEs. The study delivers solid theoretical and practical implications to experts, leaders and policymakers.

Despite the increasing relevance of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) for innovation performance in the context of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), few studies examine the complexity of the underlying mechanism that explains the relationship between EO and innovation performance. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and signalling theory, we examine an organisation-level model to explain how SME EO predicts innovation performance through human resource management (HRM) practices and collective organisational engagement (COE). We used data collected from 186 human resource managers and 526 employees in SMEs. The results indicate that HRM practices and COE sequentially mediate the relationship between EO and innovation performance. To complement studies that identify an organisation’s micro processes (i.e. employee behaviours as mediators between EO and innovation), this study highlights the need to examine macro processes occurring at the organisation level to account for the EO–innovation performance relationship.

PurposeAlthough the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and innovation performance is well documented, the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions remain insufficiently understood. Grounded in the resource-based view, this study addresses the gap by examining the mediating role of disruptive innovation in the relationship between EO and innovation performance. Additionally, it explores how digitalization strategy mediates the relationship between EO and disruptive innovation. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating effects of exploitation and exploration orientations on the relationship between disruptive innovation and innovation performance.Design/methodology/approachUsing random sampling, data (N = 436) were collected through a two-wave survey of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Structural equation modeling was employed for data analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that disruptive innovation significantly mediates the relationship between EO and innovation performance. Moreover, a digitalization strategy mediates the link between EO and disruptive innovation. While exploration orientation strengthens the positive effect of disruptive innovation on innovation performance, exploitation orientation does not demonstrate a significant moderating effect on this relationship.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by providing novel insights into the outcomes of EO and offering practical implications for SMEs seeking to enhance their innovation performance.

Purpose This study aims to explore the effect of collaboration networks (domestic and international collaboration networks) on the innovation performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It also investigates the mediating role of business model innovation, the moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation and government institutional support between them. Design/methodology/approach Hierarchical regression analysis is adopted to test the hypotheses based on survey data provided by 223 manufacturing SMEs in China. Findings The results reveal that domestic and international collaboration networks positively affect SMEs' innovation performance. Business model innovation mediates domestic and international collaboration networks-SMEs’ innovation performance relationships. Entrepreneurial orientation positively moderates international collaboration networks–SMEs’ innovation performance relationship, and government institutional support positively moderates domestic and international collaboration networks–SMEs’ innovation performance relationships. Practical implications The findings indicate that managers of SMEs should invest in domestic and international collaboration networks and business model innovation to enhance SMEs' innovation performance. Moreover, entrepreneurial orientation and government institutional support should be valued when SMEs try to enhance their innovation performance by embedding in domestic and international collaboration networks. Originality/value This study broadens the authors' understanding of the relationship between collaboration networks and firms' innovation performance by classifying collaboration networks into domestic and international dimensions and investigating their direct impacts on SMEs' innovation performance. Besides, this study reveals how and when domestic and international collaboration networks influence the innovation performance of SMEs.

Entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation, and innovation in small and medium enterprises

Purpose To enhance operating business models, insurance players ought to direct their distinctive focus on innovation to deliver long-term customer and shareholder value. Insurance players need to enhance their innovation performance to thrive in the dynamic market environment. Although scholars have empirically tested the antecedent role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on innovation, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding the relative importance of willingness to innovate, proactiveness and risk-taking on innovation. This paper aims to establish how EO enhances innovativeness of Uganda’s insurance players. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from 97 insurance players in Uganda. To determine the relative significance of the entrepreneurial approach on innovation performance, the research adopted usefulness analysis. Findings The results of the study established that willingness to innovate, risk-taking and proactiveness components of EO significantly predicted innovative performance of insurance players. Overall, EO significantly predicted innovation performance. Regarding relative importance, EO was the most “useful” in predicting innovation, preceded by risk-taking, proactiveness and willingness to innovate which are the components of EO. Practical implications Players in the insurance industry need to focus more on sustaining and developing a spirit of entrepreneurship. Management must encourage risk-taking, increase organizational proactivity and continuously champion innovative ideas. The tendency toward risk-taking and proactive behavior might be a benefit of these service-intensive company services. Originality/value The originality of the study is in exploring the relative importance of EO on innovativeness using empirical evidence from insurance players which is a service-intensive sector. The study provides insightful direction to the insurance players to develop an appropriate mix of strategies geared toward activating EO of individuals so as to achieve organizational innovativeness. Empirically, this research expounds on the relative importance of EO on innovation performance using evidence from insurance sector players in Uganda which is a developing country.

PurposeThis study focuses on how a small and medium-sized enterprise's (SME's) main strategic orientation can affect SMEs' approach to innovation. The authors aim to answer the following simple yet important questions: how do SMEs with market orientation (MO) and those with entrepreneurial orientation (EO) differ in terms of innovation performance? Do MO and EO have conflicting effects on the process of innovation at SMEs? If so, how does this conflict affect the innovation performance of SMEs?Design/methodology/approachThis study explores the effects of MO and EO on different types of technological innovation among SMEs using data collected from 124 INNOBIZ-certified manufacturing SMEs in South Korea. Logistic regression analysis and moderated regression analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe empirical results demonstrate that MO and EO engender different kinds of technological innovations. MO stimulates “new-to-the-firm” product innovation, while EO drives “new-to-the-industry” innovation in processes and products. Furthermore, SMEs' overall innovation performance will suffer from the conflicting interplay between MO and EO.Originality/valueThe findings of this study encourage SMEs to concentrate SMEs' resources and learning efforts on one specific innovation orientation and only then to develop SMEs' ambidextrous managerial capabilities. This study offers academic contributions in that the study overcomes the limitations of past studies on the strategic orientation of SMEs by empirically confirming the dilemmas faced by SMEs and expands the theoretical understanding of the relationship between MO and EO.