ISO 9001:2015

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVANCED RESEARCH IN COMMERCE, MANAGEMENT & SOCIAL SCIENCE (IJARCMSS) [ Vol. 9 | No. 2 (IV) | April - June, 2026 ]

Intellectual Structure of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance in MSMEs

Preety Devi, Dr. Anshu Bhardwaj & Prachi Nirwal

Background: Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are an important component of global economic production but are extremely vulnerable when operating in the current market environment characterized by greater friction and environmental uncertainty. In order to sustain their survival amidst these dynamic factors, small businesses depend significantly on their internal strategic positioning, making Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) as one of the most important organizational factors affecting the long-term performance and market competitiveness.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to systematically map and assess the overall global structure of knowledge, evolution of themes, and research trajectory of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) and firm performance in Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

Methodology: The overall data-set has been processed with a quantitative bibliometric approach and science mapping workflow, based on a final data-set of 258 specialized documents retrieved from the Scopus database. The network visualization and the structural matrix are created using VOSviewer software.

Result: The structural argument shows a deep geopolitical and conceptual reorganization of the domain. Traditional trans-Atlantic academic superiority has been replaced by an explosion of academic publishing in emerging economies of Asia, especially Indonesia and Malaysia. Thematically, it has moved from  legacy "posture-to-profit" assumptions and straight-line logic of traditional Resource Based View to more complex, integrated architectures.

Originality: This paper synthesizes the literature on small business strategy in comprehensive and objective manner, which addresses the fragmentation in existing small business strategy literature. The multi-decadal metadata patterns are organized into six explicit thematic taxonomy clusters and are monitored with chronological evolutionary, providing a one-to-one conceptual baseline for upcoming researchers.

Devi, P., Bhardwaj, A. & Nirwal, P. (2026). Intellectual Structure of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance in MSMEs. International Journal of Advanced Research in Commerce, Management & Social Science, 09(02(IV)), 118–128. https://doi.org/10.62823/IJARCMSS/9.2(IV).9169
  1. Gupta RK, Gupta R. Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and MSME Management. Academic Guru Publishing House; 2024.
  2. Yasmeen G, Kunin R, VALLEY VS. Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises in Agri-food. 2018.
  3. Naradda Gamage SK, Ekanayake E, Abeyrathne G, Prasanna R, Jayasundara J, Rajapakshe P. A review of global challenges and survival strategies of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Economies. 2020;8(4):79.
  4. Parnell JA, Lester DL, Long Z, Köseoglu MA. How environmental uncertainty affects the link between business strategy and performance in SMEs: Evidence from China, Turkey, and the USA. Management Decision. 2012;50(4):546–68.
  5. Miller D. The correlates of entrepreneurship in three types of firms. Management science. 1983;29(7):770–91.
  6. Miller D. Miller (1983) revisited: A reflection on EO research and some suggestions for the future. Entrepreneurship theory and practice. 2011;35(5):873–94.
  7. Lumpkin GT, Dess GG. Clarifying the entrepreneurial orientation construct and linking it to performance. Academy of management Review. 1996;21(1):135–72.
  8. Dai Y, Pu X, Han Y. From Entrepreneurial Orientation to Enterprise Innovation Performance: A Chain-Mediation Model in Growth-Oriented Enterprises. Sage Open. 2025;15(4):21582440251397867.
  9. Balzano M, Bortoluzzi G. Strategic agility in dynamic business environments. International Series in Advanced Management Studies. 2024;10:978–973.
  10. Hidayat M, Badaruddin B, Widiawati A. Synergising competitiveness and technological innovation to enhance micro, small and medium enterprise resilience through entrepreneurial orientation in the digital era. The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management. 2025;17(1):1216.
  11. Vrontis D, Chaudhuri R, Chatterjee S. Adoption of digital technologies by SMEs for sustainability and value creation: Moderating role of entrepreneurial orientation. Sustainability. 2022;14(13):7949.
  12. Grimmer L, Grimmer M, Mortimer G. The more things change the more they stay the same: A replicated study of small retail firm resources. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. 2018;44:54–63.
  13. Harb Y. A review and research agenda on the determinants of entrepreneurial orientation and its implications on firm performance: tackling SMEs in emerging economies. Entrepreneurship and Social Entrepreneurship in the MENA Region: Advances in Research. 2022;75–113.
  14. Runyan RC, Huddleston P, Swinney J. Entrepreneurial orientation and social capital as small firm strategies: A study of gender differences from a resource-based view. The International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. 2006;2(4):455–77.
  15. Bate AF, Pittaway L. The effect of entrepreneurial orientation on SME business performance in Ethiopia: the configurational approach. The Journal of Entrepreneurship. 2024;33(3):439–84.
  16. Mamabolo MA, Rose E. Transformational leadership as an antecedent and SME performance as a consequence of entrepreneurial orientation in an emerging market context. 2019.
  17. Baysak B, Bozkurt S, Günsel A. Do leaders have an influence on strengthening entrepreneurial orientation? Empirical evidence from SMEs of Turkish techno-parks. Kybernetes. 2023;52(6):2118–44.
  18. Ismail S, Ramli A, Othman S. Managerial Competency and Business Performance: Enterpreneurial Orientation as a Mediator in Malaysian SMEs. Jurnal Pengurusan. 2022.
  19. Perdana R, Prasasti A. Entrepreneurial orientation, company performance, and competitive advantage in Indonesian culinary SMEs. Small Business International Review. 2023;7(1):e547–e547.
  20. Samarakoon MAK, Jašek R. Entrepreneurial orientation and business performance of small and medium size enterprises in Sri Lanka. Creating Global Competitive Economies: A 360-Degree Approach, Vols 1-4. 2011.
  21. Al-Dhobee YA, Goail M, Al-Dhobee S. Impact of Entrepreneurial Orientation Dimensions-Innovation, proactiveness and Risk-taking on Social Performance of Small and Medium Enterprises: Does Charismatic Leadership Moderate These Relationships? International Review of Management and Marketing. 2025;15(2):171.
  22. Beliaeva T, Shirokova G, Wales W, Gafforova E. Benefiting from economic crisis? Strategic orientation effects, trade-offs, and configurations with resource availability on SME performance. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal. 2020;16(1):165–94.
  23. Vora D, Vora J, Polley D. Applying entrepreneurial orientation to a medium sized firm. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research. 2012;18(3):352–79.
  24. Astuty E, Sudirman ID, Aryanto R. Sustainable resilience strategy: unleash the micro-businesses’s potential in the digitalization and sustainability era. Cogent Business & Management. 2024;11(1):2313672.
  25. Wiklund J. The sustainability of the entrepreneurial orientation—performance relationship. Entrepreneurship theory and practice. 1999;24(1):37–48.
  26. Bakashaba R, Bindeeba DS. A Meta-Analytic Review of Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Performance: The Mediating Roles of Strategic and Dynamic Capabilities and the Moderating Effects of Contextual Factors. 2025.
  27. Rauch A, Wiklund J, Lumpkin GT, Frese M. Entrepreneurial orientation and business performance: An assessment of past research and suggestions for the future. Entrepreneurship theory and practice. 2009;33(3):761–87.
  28. Baquero A. Optimizing green knowledge acquisition through entrepreneurial orientation and resource orchestration for sustainable business performance. Marketing Intelligence & Planning. 2025;43(2):241–71.
  29. Akomea SY, Agyapong A, Ampah G, Osei HV. Entrepreneurial orientation, sustainability practices and performance of small and medium enterprises: evidence from an emerging economy. International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management. 2023;72(9):2629–53.
  30. Kusa R, Duda J, Suder M. Explaining SME performance with fsQCA: The role of entrepreneurial orientation, entrepreneur motivation, and opportunity perception. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge. 2021;6(4):234–45.
  31. Nikou S, Mezei J, Liguori EW, El Tarabishy A. FsQCA in entrepreneurship research: Opportunities and best practices. Journal of Small Business Management. 2024;62(3):1531–48.

DOI:

Article DOI: 10.62823/IJARCMSS/9.2(IV).9169

DOI URL: https://doi.org/10.62823/IJARCMSS/9.2(IV).9169


Download Full Paper:

Download