Entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance of social enterprises in an emerging economy

Purpose Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, the study aims to develop a holistic conceptual model to examine the nexus between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and innovation performance (INPF) of social enterprises in an emerging economy, Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was used to collect and analyse 206 usable survey questionnaires through structural equation modelling-partial least square. Findings Results demonstrate that all the dimensions of EO – innovativeness, proactiveness, autonomy, risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness significantly influence the INPF of social enterprises. However, a paired t-test analysis shows that risk-taking has the largest effect size, followed by innovativeness, proactiveness, autonomy and competitive aggressiveness, in that order. The results highlight that social enterprises must exploit EO as a strategic asset in their corporate strategies and initiatives to realize competitive advantage and enhance INPF. Originality/value This study makes an incremental contribution to the extant literature by examining the impact of EO on INPF of social enterprises; it thus extends the EO framework from the conservative entrepreneurship context to the social entrepreneurship context, thereby advancing our understanding of the development and application of the EO framework in the social entrepreneurship context in emerging economies. The study concludes with the theoretical and managerial implications of the findings.