The Relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance; Evidence from Turkish SMEs

Abstract

This research aims to find the factors linked to Entrepreneurial orientation and corporate entrepreneurship that effect export and sales growth performance of SMEs. Thereby a model was developed to reveal the relationship between these factors. The questionnaire had parts such as general information about firm and owner/manager, entrepreneurial orientation, corporate entrepreneurship and growth in sales revenue and exportation rate over the most recent 3 year period of the SMEs. The measurements have been gathered together in 72 item in survey and applied to 163 SMEs manufacturing generally in Ankara and Bursa, Turkey. The result showed that entrepreneurial orientation is positively and significantly related with SMEs’ sales growth and exportation performances. SMEs have to be proactive in any circumstances and especially exporter SMEs need to be more risk taking than proactive and least innovative. Also organizational boundaries has greater effect on performance than other dimensions of corporate entrepreneurship.