Sustainable development practices as a mediator: linking entrepreneurial orientation to SME business performance

IF 3.2 Q2 ETHICS

Asian Journal of Business Ethics Pub Date : 2025-02-21 DOI:10.1007/s13520-025-00233-z

Say Keat Ooi, Shaohua Yang, Yusuf Babatunde Adeneye

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Although sustainable development is increasingly prioritised, many entrepreneurs remain skeptical about the appropriateness of sustainable practices for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), questioning the value of adopting green initiatives. Grounded in the resource-based view, this study investigates the mediating role of sustainable development practices in linking entrepreneurial and international orientations and business performance in SMEs. Data were gathered from 105 SME owners and senior managers across multiple sectors using the drop-off and pick-up method and analysed using partial least squares (PLS) path modelling. The findings reveal that sustainable practices play a critical mediating role in enhancing business performance. Specifically, entrepreneurial orientation positively influences business performance indirectly through engagement in sustainable development practices, while international orientation does not produce a similar effect. This highlights the importance of aligning entrepreneurial traits, such as innovation, proactiveness, and risk-taking, with sustainability-oriented strategies. Additionally, the model’s predictive capability was assessed, and the study provides both theoretical insights into the mediating mechanisms of sustainability and practical recommendations for SMEs aiming to adopt sustainable business practices.

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可持续发展实践作为中介：将创业取向与中小企业经营绩效联系起来

虽然可持续发展日益成为优先事项，但许多企业家仍然对中小型企业可持续做法的适当性持怀疑态度，质疑采用绿色倡议的价值。基于资源基础的观点，本研究探讨了可持续发展实践在中小企业创业取向和国际化取向与经营绩效之间的中介作用。数据收集了105中小企业主和高级管理人员在多个行业使用下车和接送方法和分析使用偏最小二乘（PLS）路径模型。研究结果表明，可持续实践在提高企业绩效方面起着关键的中介作用。具体而言，创业导向通过参与可持续发展实践间接对企业绩效产生积极影响，而国际导向则不会产生类似效果。这凸显了将创新、主动性和冒险等企业家特质与可持续发展战略相结合的重要性。此外，本研究还对模型的预测能力进行了评估，为可持续发展的中介机制提供了理论见解，并为中小企业采取可持续经营实践提供了实践建议。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Asian Journal of Business Ethics ETHICS-

CiteScore

2.60

自引率

38.50%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Asian Journal of Business Ethics (AJBE) publishes original articles from a wide variety of methodological and disciplinary perspectives concerning ethical issues related to business in Asia, including East, Southeast and South-central Asia. Like its well-known sister publication Journal of Business Ethics, AJBE examines the moral dimensions of production, consumption, labour relations, and organizational behavior, while taking into account the unique societal and ethical perspectives of the Asian region. The term ''business'' is understood in a wide sense to include all systems involved in the exchange of goods and services, while ''ethics'' is understood as applying to all human action aimed at securing a good life. We believe that issues concerning corporate responsibility are within the scope of ethics broadly construed. Systems of production, consumption, marketing, advertising, social and economic accounting, labour relations, public relations and organizational behaviour will be analyzed from a moral or ethical point of view. The style and level of dialogue involve all who are interested in business ethics - the business community, universities, government agencies, non-government organizations and consumer groups.The AJBE viewpoint is especially relevant today, as global business initiatives bring eastern and western companies together in new and ever more complex patterns of cooperation and competition.