Entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and firm performance: The mediating role of innovation performance

Abstract

The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, innovation performance, and firm performance has attracted the attention of many researchers. However, there is a lack of research on the mediating role of innovation performance on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and firm performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of innovation performance on the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance and between social capital and firm performance. The study involves a questionnaire-based survey of managers from a variety of firms operating in Turkey. A total of 665 surveys from 298 firms were received and subjected to structural equation modelling analyses. We find that: (1) entrepreneurial orientation and social capital affect innovation performance, (2) innovation performance affects firm performance, and (3) innovation performance mediates the relationship between social capital and firm performance, and between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance.