Disentangling the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, organizational learning and small and medium enterprises performance

Abstract

While a considerable amount of research has consistently established significant positive relations between entrepreneurial orientation and small and medium enterprises’ performance, there is a paucity of research examining the fundamental processes behind this relationship. To address this theoretical gap in the literature, this study examined the mediating role of organizational learning in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and SME performance. Based on survey data collected from 193 SMEs, located in Kano metropolis, findings suggested that entrepreneurial orientation was significantly associated with SME performance. Furthermore, the results indicated that the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and SME performance was mediated by organizational learning. The implications of the results for explaining the performance of SMEs are discussed.