Title: Determinants of entrepreneurial orientation: a qualitative resource-based study with reference to tech SMEs in Lebanon

Authors: Yara Habib Harb; Mario Edmond Sassine

Addresses: USEK Business School, Jounieh, Lebanon ' USEK Business School, Jounieh, Lebanon

Abstract: This study aims to identify the determinants of entrepreneurial orientation through its five dimensions. Studies exploring this area of entrepreneurial orientation are far less abundant when compared to studies tackling the construct implications on firm performance. Thus, this paper addresses an important gap in the research of entrepreneurial orientation's antecedents seen that it considers the practicality of its multidimensional view. Therefore, we have adopted a qualitative exploration in ten Lebanese tech SMEs. Our findings reveal that the most important factors that trigger entrepreneurial orientation are concerned with the firm's tangible and intangible resources, and the firm's social networks and information channels. Thus, this paper embodies one of the very first original studies that associate the resource-based view and social capital theory to establish the major determinants of entrepreneurial orientation in the context of an emerging economy. Finally, we detail and discuss the results including suggestions for scholars, SMEs and policymakers.

Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation; resources; entrepreneurship; SME; Lebanon.

DOI: 10.1504/EMJM.2020.113097

EuroMed Journal of Management, 2020 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.246 - 273

Received: 13 Jul 2020
Accepted: 14 Aug 2020
Published online: 18 Feb 2021 *

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