Title: Strategy, market orientation and entrepreneurship: proposition and test of rival business performance prediction models

Authors: Cid Gonçalves Filho; Mara Regina Veit; Gustavo Quiroga Souki; Plínio Rafael Reis Monteiro; Mário Teixeira Reis Neto

Addresses: FUMEC University, Rua Sevilha 250 – Vila Castela, Nova Lima, Minas Gerais, 34.000-000, Brazil. ' SEBRAE/MG, 329 Barão Homem de Melo Avenue, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30.431-28, Brazil; FUMEC University, Av. Afonso Pena 3880 – 1o andar, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30310-009, Brazil. ' Centro Universitário UNA, Av. Afonso Pena 3824/405, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30150-003, Brazil. ' FUMEC University, Av. Afonso Pena 3880 – 1o andar Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30310-009, Brazil. ' FUMEC University, Av. Afonso Pena 3880 – 1o andar Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 30310-009, Brazil

Abstract: Studies of factors influencing business performance and their relationship to entrepreneurship and innovation have attracted interest from a great number of researchers. This study explores the relation existing between the potential entrepreneur profile, innovativeness, market orientation, environmental turbulence and the performance of small companies. The fundamental premise is that internal factors, such as market orientation, innovativeness and the entrepreneur profile, combine with external factors to determine company performance. In order to verify this hypothesis, a survey was conducted, with a sample of 1,552 entrepreneurs. The results demonstrated that the entrepreneur profile may act as the determinant of market orientation and innovativeness, with significant impact on business performance.

Keywords: market orientation; business performance; performance prediction models; potential entrepreneurs; entrepreneur profiles; innovativeness; environmental turbulence; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; internal factors; external factors; company performance; determinants; Brazil; entrepreneurship; innovation management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2012.048082

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2012 Vol.15 No.4, pp.275 - 291

Accepted: 21 Dec 2011
Published online: 31 Jul 2014 *

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