Is Entrepreneurial Orientation a Global Construct? A Multi-Country Study of Entrepreneurial Orientation, Growth Strategy, and Performance

Abstract

The role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in influencing firm behavior is one of the primary areas of attention for the burgeoning stream of international entrepreneurship research. This study examines two research questions: (1) Is the EO construct generalizable to countries beyond North America? (2) If EO is generalizable, what is its relationship to firm performance in international contexts? Using a sample of 1,045 firms from 17 countries on 4 continents, we found support for the uni-dimensional entrepreneurial posture construct noting that it significantly predicted firm profitability and changes in net worth.