Dimensions Of Entrepreneurial Orientation Research Articles

Entrepreneurial orientation and funding decisions on the financial performance of small and medium industries

Small and Medium Industries play an important role in relation to economic growth in Asian countries. The empowerment of SMEs is very strategic because of its great potential in driving economic activities, as well as being a source of income in improving community welfare (Sum, et al, 2004). To explore the factors affecting the sustainability of SMEs, the study conducted a systematic literature review of relevant articles published between 2015 and 2023, focusing on entrepreneurial orientation and financial performance. The findings of this study reveal that the ability of a company's entrepreneurial orientation has a significant influence on financial performance. Companies with a high level of entrepreneurial orientation tend to innovate products consistently, dare to consider business risks, and act proactively against possible environmental changes. Companies with a high level of entrepreneurial orientation are always trying to find new opportunities and strengthen their competitive position in carrying out business activities in the market. Moreover, it emphasizes that the development of the concept of entrepreneurial orientation is indispensable in SMEs. This is important because the personal attributes of the owners that make up the entrepreneurial orientation have a strong influence on financial performance. The dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation can be reflected in attitudes and behaviors, such as autonomy, risk, innovation, and aggressive competition by placing personal attributes on business owners. Here, entrepreneurial orientation is directly related and has a strong impact in encouraging companies to perform better.

Impact of innovation, entrepreneurial orientation and entrepreneurial leadership on supply chain resilience in handicraft industry: moderating role of supply chain orientation

PurposeThe study aims to explore dynamic capabilities such as innovation, entrepreneurial leadership, absorptive capability, and the dimension of entrepreneurial orientation in the handicraft sector to enhance supply chain resilience and innovation during unprecedented times. This study also used innovation as a mediating construct and supply chain orientation as a moderating construct.Design/methodology/approachWe gathered data from the handicraft sector in the Uttar Pradesh (UP) in India using a pretested questionnaire. We used variance-based partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test our research hypotheses.FindingsOur study indicates that to enhance innovation and improve supply chain resilience, firms should focus on developing dynamic capabilities such as entrepreneurial leadership, absorptive capacity, artificial intelligence (AI), innovativeness, risk-taking ability, and protectiveness. The study highlights the significant role of dynamic capabilities in the handicraft sector during times of crisis, enabling innovation and resilience to risk.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the significant role of dynamic capabilities in the handicraft sector during times of crisis, enabling innovation and resilience to risk.Originality/valueThis study provides significant insights into the current understanding of dynamic capability theory and supply chain orientation and expands upon the existing literature in this field. It comprehensively analyses the latest research and advances knowledge in this area.

Role of individual entrepreneurial orientation and innovation in SME performance: Gender perspectives

Individual entrepreneurial orientation and innovation are essentials for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to drive their performance, including surviving or even growing during economic crises. The entrepreneur’s gender might have an impact on those relationships. Hence, this study aims to analyze whether there were some differences in the five dimensions of individual entrepreneurial orientation and differences in the influence of individual entrepreneurial orientation and innovation on performance between male and female entrepreneurs. The study was performed through an online survey of 352 SME owners in Indonesia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and multi-group analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results demonstrated that all dimensions of individual entrepreneurial orientation are valid for developing this construct, but only the risk-taking dimension distinguishes male and female entrepreneurs the most. Male entrepreneurs are more willing to take risks than female. Furthermore, individual entrepreneurial orientation affects performance mediated by innovation, and this effect is not different between male and female entrepreneurs. These findings enrich the literature on the impact of gender on entrepreneurial orientation and the influence of innovation on SME performance. In Indonesia, individual entrepreneurial orientation affects performance assisted by innovation; however, this influence is not different for SMEs managed by male and female entrepreneurs. AcknowledgmentWe acknowledge and thank all of the respondents and parties who supported this research. This study was funded by the Directorate of Research and Community Engagement, Universitas Indonesia, contract number NKB-1782/UN2.RST/HKP.05.00/2020.

Examining the Link Between Entrepreneurialism and Employability: A Literature Review

Policymakers and higher education institutions share global concerns about unemployment and equipping companies with a quality workforce. The dynamism of today’s business world has changed the nature of employability. In order to survive in this frequently changing business world, graduates must not only focus on their employability skills but also on entrepreneurial attributes. This article tries to understand the connection between entrepreneurship and employability. In like manner, this article carries out a review of literature in these two fields relying upon the Scopus database. This study extracted the final corpus of 236 articles and processed it further in Vos Viewer to know the most influential authors, countries, organisations and articles followed by an extensive review of 40 articles. This study reveals that the employability literature and entrepreneurial literature are mainly connected through entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial skills. This study also offers future research direction by exposing some research gaps. This article will help higher education institutions understand the need to develop entrepreneurialism among graduates to enhance their employability.

The Influence of Environmental Sustainability Orientations on organizational Performance: A Review

This comprehensive review addresses a critical research gap concerning the relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO), Environmental Sustainability Orientation (ESO), and organizational performance. The study advocates for future research to delve into this uncharted territory, providing valuable insights for organizations and policymakers to promote entrepreneurship and sustainable business practices. It suggests a deeper examination of EO, specifically Innovativeness, Proactiveness, and Risk-Taking, as independent variables, alongside organizational performance as the dependent variable. The review emphasizes the pivotal mediating role of ESO, highlighting its strategic significance in differentiating firms and enhancing performance. It affirms the positive influence of EO on ESO, subsequently improving organizational performance. The review stresses the managerial implications of integrating EO dimensions into strategies for a competitive advantage, along with the importance of embracing ESO for reputation enhancement and cost reduction through eco-friendly practices. The study encourages future researchers to explore additional EO variables and utilize diverse data analysis tools to enhance understanding of the intersection of entrepreneurial and sustainability orientations.

The impact of entrepreneurship dimensions on solving unemployment problems among Soran University Graduate Students from 2010 to 2023

The impact of entrepreneurship dimensions on solving unemployment problems among Soran University Graduate Students from 2010 to 2023

Exploration of the Deep Impact of Digital Platforms on Innovation and Entrepreneurship Activities of Entrepreneurs under the Information Management Framework

With the rapid development of information technology, digital platforms (DPs) have emerged as an indispensable aspect of the entrepreneurial landscape, which has a profound impact on entrepreneurial innovation and practice. However, there remains a gap in understanding the specific ways in which DPs influence the entrepreneurial process. Therefore, within the framework of information management theory, this study aims to deepen the understanding of how DPs foster entrepreneurial innovation and enhance entrepreneurial effectiveness, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of DPs. Firstly, the concept of information management in contemporary social enterprise management is thoroughly examined and reviewed to establish a robust theoretical foundation for further research. Secondly, the conceptual framework and core elements of DPs are extensively discussed, elucidating their role and function in the entrepreneurial process. On this basis, a theoretical model illustrating the impact of DPs on entrepreneurial innovation and activities is formulated, along with six specific research hypotheses. These hypotheses encompass the effects of DPs on entrepreneur behavior, enterprise development, and the platform–entrepreneur relationship. To verify the validity of these hypotheses, a questionnaire survey involving 398 entrepreneurs is conducted to facilitate in-depth communication. Simultaneously, the various attributes of entrepreneurs are categorized, and the resulting classifications are thoroughly analyzed and evaluated. The results show that the DP plays a positive role in promoting the development of platform enterprises, improving intrapreneurship activities, and enhancing the ability of intrapreneurship. In addition, DPs can effectively regulate the relationship between platform enterprises and entrepreneurs and promote the self-development of entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the entrepreneurial growth process has positively influenced platform enterprises. This finding strongly supports the practical application of DPs and provides valuable guidance for entrepreneurs to leverage them effectively in fostering innovation and entrepreneurial activities in the digital era. Meanwhile, this offers crucial insights for platform enterprises on enhancing their service offerings to entrepreneurs and fostering the sustainable development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. In summary, through rigorous theoretical discourse and empirical analysis, this study emphasizes the significant role of DPs in the entrepreneurial journey, providing robust backing for their continued advancement and utilization in the entrepreneurial realm.

Unobserved heterogeneity in firm performance: The alignment of entrepreneurial orientation and organizational error management culture

Most prior research has focused on the positive relationship between a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and its performance. However, errors in entrepreneurial strategies are inevitable. We argue that entrepreneurial firms benefit from an organizational error management culture. Drawing on data from 208 German family businesses, we combined partial least squares structural modeling with finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) segmentation to capture unobserved heterogeneity in firm performance. Our results show that firms align organizational error management culture with the behavioral or attitudinal dimensions of EO. The two identified segments indicate that firms align one at the cost of the other. Error communication emerged as a central link in both segments, mediating EO and firm performance. Overall, the results highlight the importance of aligning cultural practices, particularly the dialogue about errors within firms, with entrepreneurial behaviors and attitudes across managerial and firm levels.

A framework for investigating new firm entry: The (limited) overlap between informal-formal and necessity-opportunity entrepreneurship

We analyse entrepreneurial entry along the dimensions of informal-formal and necessity-opportunity entrepreneurship, distinguishing between them yet considering them jointly. While the dominant view in the literature conflates necessity with informal entry, and opportunity with formal entry, we hypothesise that informal entrepreneurship may be attractive to higher-income individuals as a testing ground for entrepreneurial ideas. We also explain why higher-income individuals may undertake necessity entrepreneurship. We utilise individual Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data from Chile (2019–2021), which identifies informal-formal and necessity-opportunity entrepreneurial entry modes, to test hypotheses on the role of individuals´ income in the four types of entrepreneurial entry. We also consider changes in entrepreneurial entry during a crisis and a non-crisis periods. Our results confirm that the patterns in the data are consistent with hypotheses derived from our proposed theoretical framework. Executive summaryEmerging markets economies have very large informal sectors, and their entrepreneurial entry is often motivated by economic necessity rather than by business opportunity. But neither informal nor necessity entrepreneurship are usually expected to generate the positive benefits for growth and development predicted for formal and opportunity entrepreneurship. We argue that the dominant stream in the literature actually conflates informal and necessity entrepreneurship, both of which have been associated with low human and financial capital and productivity. We propose that the appropriate typology is more complex than this because there are examples of successful and dynamic informal firms. This leads us to identify four categories of entrepreneurial entry: informal-necessity (Type 1), formal-opportunity (Type 2), informal-opportunity (Type 3), and formal-necessity (Type 4). While necessity entrepreneurship has typically been associated with low-income individuals, we propose that formal-necessity entrepreneurship may be an entry path for both low- and high-income individuals, though for different reasons. Informal opportunity entry may likewise be an option for people with low-income as well as high-income.We therefore seek to disentangle the analysis of opportunity-necessity and of formal-informal entry and to demonstrate that the two less explored entry modes - informal-opportunity, and formal-necessity - are of considerable theoretical and practical significance in emerging economies. We test our framework in the emerging market economy setting of Chile, one of the more prosperous and open economies in Latin America. We use Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data which uniquely for Chile allow us to distinguish between individuals along both the formal-informal and the necessity-opportunity dimensions. On this basis, we distinguish empirically between these four categories of entrepreneurial entry and explain how higher-income individuals may use informal-opportunity entrepreneurial entry as a “seed bed” to test their new business ideas. At the same time, we show that necessity entrepreneurship may be attractive to both lower- and higher-income individuals.We also show that the interplay between individuals´ income groups and four entrepreneurial entry modes is stable over “normal times” versus “crisis periods”. We observe that in response to a crisis, individuals with lower-incomes are likely to engage more in informal-necessity entrepreneurship while opportunity-informal entry by higher-income individuals will decline. These changes represent a more complex adjustment pattern than has been identified for developed economies, where entrepreneurial activity has been found to be countercyclical. Thus, in emerging markets, informal-necessity entrepreneurship plays a stabilizing role for those individuals with a more marginal position in the labor market during the crisis. In contrast, for those individuals who have access to higher household income, all forms of entrepreneurship become a less attractive option. We interpret this as indicating that these individuals have the option to wait for higher return opportunities to re-emerge. This is one of the first papers to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship in an emerging market economy.

Achieving Business Productivity through Social Entrepreneurship of Cooperative Societies in Nigeria

Cooperatives around the world face pressing challenges of decreased profitability and difficulty in maintaining a competitive position in the market that hamper their societal impact and performance. This absence of targeted resources further compounds the challenges faced by cooperatives in the state, impeding their ability to invest in efficiency-enhancing technologies and infrastructure to address these pressing issues. Therefore, this study examined whether social entrepreneurship dimensions (social value creation, social learning, and social innovations) have effect on business profitability of cooperative societies. The cross-sectional survey research design was adopted using the population which comprised of 1,590 executives of co-operative societies in Ogun State, Nigeria. A sample size of 403 was determined using Raosoft calculator. A structured and validated questionnaire was utilized for data collection. Findings from multiple regression analysis revealed that social entrepreneurship dimensions had a positive and significant effect on business profitability of co-operative societies in Ogun State, business profitability (Adj.R2= 0.731, F(3, 357) = 327.410, p0.05). Cooperative societies in Nigeria need to embrace more innovative ideas This will particularly convince owners and customers to bring their money with guarantee returns on investment and interest which bring significant profit.

Investors response to different dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation

Purpose Leveraging signalling theory and institutional environment theory, this study aims to examine how the entrepreneurial orientation of emerging market firms impacts initial public offering (IPO) performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors conduct regression analysis based on archival data from 312 firms’ IPOs in India. Findings The results in the Indian context suggest it differs from IPO performance in developed markets. In an emerging market context, the findings suggest that only competitive aggressiveness is valued by investors in IPOs. The findings further show that proactiveness and autonomy negatively influence IPO underpricing. Research limitations/implications The research propositions imply that, owing to institutional voids in emerging markets, investors’ risk propensity and, hence, rewarding a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation differ from those in developed markets. Originality/value Extant literature has given limited attention to the dynamics of entrepreneurial orientation and the effect of each dimension of entrepreneurial orientation on IPO performance in emerging markets.

Revisiting the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on SMEs’ organizational performance

This study investigates the impact of five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (risk-taking, proactiveness, innovativeness, aggressiveness, and autonomy), an independent variable, on SMEs’ organizational performance in Bangladesh. The study surveyed 237 SMEs’ owners (out of 300, with a response rate of 79%) in Gazipur district, Bangladesh. Cronbach’s alpha (α) value of 0.70 was used to examine the reliability of the constructs in this study. Drawing from earlier research, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire was constructed to assess the links between entrepreneurial orientation and SMEs’ organizational performance. The dependent variable in this study was SMEs’ organizational performance, which was based on business growth, change in number of employees, profitability, and sales growth. The hypotheses were tested using SPSS with a 95% confidence interval. The results suggest that all five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation positively affect the organizational performance of SMEs in Bangladesh. It is evident that proactiveness (β-value = 0.330) has the greatest effect on SMEs’ organizational performance, and competitive aggressiveness has the least effect (β-value = 0.230). The independent variables explain a significant proportion of the variability observed in SMEs’ organizational performance (R2 = 57.4%). The research outcomes offer valuable implications for entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academics. AcknowledgmentThe authors acknowledge the Accounting Research Institute (ARI)-HICoE.

Correlation Between Corporate Entrepreneurship and Organizational Performance in Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

The study assessed the correlation between corporate entrepreneurship dimensions and performance of selected deposit money banks in Nigeria. Specific objectives include to: evaluate the correlation between corporate entrepreneurship dimensions (value creation) and customers’ retention and investigate the correlation between corporate entrepreneurship dimensions (competitive aggressiveness) and market value performance. A survey research design was used. Total population of the study was nine fifty (950) staff of Deposit Money Banks. Sample size was two hundred and eighty-one (281) using Taro Yamane formular. The convenient sampling method was adopted used while structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. It was found that value creation had insignificant relationship with customers’ retention and competitive aggressiveness had a significant relationship with market value performance. Based on the findings, the study concluded that corporate entrepreneurship dimensions correlated significantly with performance of selected deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study recommends that it is highly recommended that value creation of top management should indulge the opinion of their customers through questionnaires and feedback mechanism. This would give the organisation an insight to what the customers’ expectations regarding new things that are brawling up in similar competitive organisations. In the same vein indulging customer’s opinion while launching new products, would make them feel carried along and valuable. Keywords: Corporate Entrepreneurship Organizational Performance, Deposit Money Banks

Dimensions of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Marketing Performance: The Moderating Effect of Market Turbulence

Purpose: This study is to understand how the marketing performance of used car showroom SMEs is related to the entrepreneurial orientation of used car showroom SME owners or managers as well as the moderating influence of market turbulence. Theoretical Framework: The key points and emphasizing the importance of understanding the dynamic relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, marketing performance, and market turbulence in the context of used car showroom SMEs. Methods: This study used quantitative research methods through surveys. The used car showroom SMEs analyzed are in the DKI Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi Indonesia areas. Data was collected through questionnaires that had been compiled in a structured manner. Of the 290 questionnaires distributed, 289 returned questionnaires were used in data analysis. Analysis is carried out through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results and Conclusion: Research findings show that innovativennes, proactive have an influence on product marketing performance (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, risk taking did not have a significant effect on marketing performance (p > 0.05). In addition, market turbulence moderates negatively the relationship between innovation and marketing performance, but market turbulence is unable to moderate the relationship between proactive and risk taking on marketing performance. The results of this study provide a new understanding for used car SMEs in Indonesia, especially in JABODETABEK. Research implications: The practical implication of this research is that in the used car showroom business, it is important for companies to develop dynamic capabilities that include innovation, proactivity, and readiness in take risks. Originality/value: The ability to understand the entrepreneurial orientation of SMEs will help them deal with uncertain market turmoil be it in competition, technological advancements, ever-changing customer preferences.

Does Digital Capabilities Foster Social Innovation Performance in Social Enterprises? Mediation by Firm-Level Entrepreneurial Orientation

Social innovation as an outcome of social entrepreneurship represents the primary drive of social enterprises (SEs). In the emergent context of a digitally transforming entrepreneurship scenario, this study intends to investigate the role of digital capabilities (DC) in social innovation performance (SIP) in SEs while considering the underlying effects of a firm-level entrepreneurial orientation (EO). Utilizing a quantitative survey approach, the study acquired a total of 344 valid responses from SEs in Saudi Arabia. The data analysis performed through partial least square structural equation modeling (SmartPLS 3.0) revealed that DC have no direct impact on SIP in SEs. However, DC influence SIP through the full mediation effects of EO dimensions of social proactiveness, and social innovativeness. The mediation effects of social risk-taking on the DC-SIP relationship were not established. This work is the first to conceptualize and test a theoretical framework linking the DC and EO constructs concerning SIP in SEs. As a result, the study produces several academic and managerial implications underpinning social innovation amid the digitally transforming entrepreneurship context in SEs.

Examine the interaction impact of psychological characteristics on individual entrepreneurial orientation and cyberpreneurship intentions

In a rapidly evolving digital economy, cyberpreneurship has emerged as a pivotal force driving innovation and economic growth. The study applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour in predicting entrepreneurial intention in the context of Malaysia, where the government has actively championed digital entrepreneurship. Drawing from a sample of 473 final-year university students in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia, the study investigates the impact of Individual Entrepreneurial Orientation (IEO) dimensions, namely innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness, on the intention to engage in cyberpreneurship within the context of Digital Free Trade Zones (DFTZ). The study further examines the moderation effect of psychological characteristics incorporating visionary thinking, self-efficacy, opportunism, and creativity to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cyberpreneurial intentions. With the moderating variable, the paper presents a comprehensive model to investigate the IEO and psychological characteristics contributing to cyberpreneurship intentions and its impact on engagement in DFTZ. An empirical examination of data and hypotheses found that risk-taking (RISK) and proactiveness (PRO) are significantly related to cyberpreneurial intention. Psychological characteristics significantly proved its moderating role in its interaction with innovatiness (INNO), risk-taking (RISK), and proactivness (PRO) in influencing cyberpreneurial intentions (CYBER_PI). Innovativeness (INNO) without the influence of the moderating variable is not significantly related to cyberpreneurial intentions. Engagement with the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) through the mediating role of cyberpreneurial intentions (CYBER_PI), the innovativeness (INNO) did not succeed. On the other hand, risk-taking (RISK) and proactiveness (PRO) are found to be significant. The paper contributes to the landscape of e-commerce and digital trade literature by advancing our understanding of the factors driving individuals’ intentions to participate in cyberpreneurship and engage in DFTZ. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and entrepreneurs alike.

Framing a feminist phenomenological inquiry into the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs

PurposeThis article aims to explore the potential of feminist phenomenology as a conceptual framework for advancing women’s entrepreneurship research and the suitability of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to the proposed framework.Design/methodology/approachThe article critically examines the current state of women’s entrepreneurship research regarding the institutional context and highlights the benefits of a shift towards feminist phenomenology.FindingsThe prevailing disembodied and gender-neutral portrayal of entrepreneurship has resulted in an equivocal understanding of women’s entrepreneurship and perpetuated a male-biased discourse within research and practice. By adopting a feminist phenomenological approach, this article argues for the importance of considering the ontological dimensions of lived experiences of situatedness, intersubjectivity, intentionality and temporality in analysing women entrepreneurs’ agency within gendered institutional contexts. It also demonstrates that feminist phenomenology could broaden the current scope of IPA regarding the embodied dimension of language.Research limitations/implicationsThe adoption of feminist phenomenology and IPA presents new avenues for research that go beyond the traditional cognitive approach in entrepreneurship, contributing to theory and practice. The proposed conceptual framework also has some limitations that provide opportunities for future research, such as a phenomenological intersectional approach and arts-based methods.Originality/valueThe article contributes to a new research agenda in women’s entrepreneurship research by offering a feminist phenomenological framework that focuses on the embodied dimension of entrepreneurship through the integration of IPA and conceptual metaphor theory (CMT).

Exploring the gender entrepreneurial dimension following a long-term crisis: the case of Cypriot and Greek micro and small firms

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine various key aspects associated with entrepreneurs’ behaviour following a long-term crisis. Specifically, the study compares the perceptions of female and male entrepreneurs operating in Cyprus and Greece concerning success factors and firm performance in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Conceptually, the study considers the organisational adaptation literature (Miles and Snow’s typology).Design/methodology/approachThe views of female and male micro and small firm owners-managers operating in Greece and Cyprus, a total of 406, were gathered through a questionnaire. To analyse the quantitative data, independent samples t-test and exploratory factor analysis were applied.FindingsParticipants’ responses reveal similar levels of perceived importance between genders regarding adaptive measures and strategies to confront a long-term crisis, as well as perceived firm performance. Nevertheless, exploratory factor analysis highlights differences in how male/female entrepreneurs perceive actions that, as in the case of financial management, can safeguard the immediate outlook of the firm.Originality/valueWhile scholarly discourses on gender and entrepreneurship abound, important knowledge gaps still exist, for instance, in entrepreneurs’ problem-solving strategies adopted by female and male entrepreneurs following crises. In addressing this scholarly gap cross-culturally, that is, drawing on cross-national data (Cyprus and Greece); the present study makes an important contribution. Empirically, the study ascertains similar entrepreneurial behavioural characteristics between female-male entrepreneurs. Theoretically, the study validates Miles and Snow’s typology and develops a theoretical framework linking the typology and dimensions emerging from the empirical findings.

Exploring the Nexus between Entrepreneurial Orientation Dimensions and Knowledge Management: Evidence from Yemeni Banks

Exploring the Nexus between Entrepreneurial Orientation Dimensions and Knowledge Management: Evidence from Yemeni Banks

YOUNG FEMALE ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION IN A CONTEXT OF CRISIS. THE CASE OF A DEVELOPING COUNTRY

Entrepreneurship serves as a catalyst for economic development, particularly during crises, as it fosters economic resilience through the establishment of new enterprises and the creation of employment opportunities. Women possess a significant entrepreneurial potential, and nurturing this potential could empower women to contribute substantially to sustainable economic growth. This paper investigates the relationship between the entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of female students in Cluj-Napoca and their entrepreneurial intention (EI). Given the current context of crisis (marked by a post-pandemic situation, Ukraine war, energy crisis and high inflation) we have also studied its impact on the entrepreneurial orientation. To achieve these research objectives, we have employed a questionnaire-based survey among 231 female students from Cluj-Napoca enrolled in all three levels of study (bachelor, master, and PhD). The results show that the entrepreneurial orientation of students (as a unidimensional construct) has a significant influence on their entrepreneurial intentions. Among the five investigated EO dimensions (risk-taking, innovativeness, proactiveness, passion and perseverance), it was found that only passion influences significantly the EI. It was also found that the current crisis is a factor influencing the entrepreneurial orientation of female students. Our study contributes to the body of literature in gender studies and entrepreneurship studies by testing two newly proposed EO dimensions: passion and perseverance. The practical implications of our research consist in recommendations for educational institutions and policymakers for designing more effective entrepreneurship education programs and support policies for women pursuing an entrepreneurial career.