Exploring the antecedents of innovation performance: the roles of entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation and organisational learning

Abstract

This paper analyses the effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on learning orientation (LO), the relationship between them and their effect on organisational learning (OL) and innovation performance (IP) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A cross-sectional research design, drawing on a questionnaire survey, was employed to collect data from a sample of Iranian SMEs. The results obtained from structural equation modelling analyses revealed that EO positively affects the LO and OL levels in SMEs. In addition, OL was found to be a significant antecedent of innovation performance. These findings have important implications for academies, practitioners, and economic policy makers.