Sustainable Entrepreneurial Orientation (SEO), and Organizational Performance: A Gender-Moderated Perspective in Peru

Abstract

Sustainable Entrepreneurial Orientation (SEO) is an emergent concept and a complex dynamic capability that could explain the behavioral predisposition of individuals and organizations to contribute to sustainable development. This study examined the impact of decision-makers' SEO on the organizational performance of their companies. In addition, the study evaluated the moderating role of gender in the relationship between SEO and performance. The approach of the study was explanatory and non-experimental. It used a PLS-SEM technique on a sample of 121 decision-makers of micro and small enterprises operating in different sectors in Peru, a highly entrepreneurial country in Latin America. After validating the SEO measurement from the individual perspective, the results showed that SEO does affect performance. However, the moderating role of gender on the SEO-performance relationship was not empirically validated. This study contributes to the literature on sustainable entrepreneurship by confirming that the phenomenon of SEO, typically assessed at the organizational level, is also an important antecedent of organizational performance when viewed from the individual perspective. Although the moderating effect of gender was not proven, this study provides insightful directions on the SEO-performance relationship. Thus, by validating the SEO instrument that considers its components from an individual perspective, the literature on this strategic orientation has been expanded.