Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge acquisition: effects on performance in the specific context of women-owned firms

  • Published:
International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study seeks to offer new insights into the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance by focusing on the specific context of women-owned firms. In particular, it analyses the influence of entrepreneurial orientation and external knowledge acquisition on firm performance. The results obtained from a sample of Spanish women entrepreneurs show that entrepreneurial orientation is positively related to operational and financial performance. However, knowledge acquisition affects financial performance only via its effects on entrepreneurial orientation, suggesting a mediating role for entrepreneurial orientation. By incorporating variables that have received little consideration in the literature on women-owned firms, such as entrepreneurial orientation and external knowledge acquisition, this study advances the knowledge regarding the factors that may contribute to the creation of sustainable women-led businesses.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aldrich, H. (1989). Networking among women entrepreneurs. In O. Hagan, C. Rivchun, & D. Sexton (Eds.), Women-Owned Businesses (pp. 103–132). New York: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aldrich, H., Amanda, E., & Reese, P.R. (1997). Strong ties, weak ties, and strangers: Do women business owners differ from men in their use of networking to obtain assistance?. In Birley. S. & MacMillan, I. (Eds), Entrepreneurship in a Global Context (pp. 1–25). Routledge

  • Alvarez, S. A., & Busenitz, L. W. (2001). The entrepreneurship of resource-based theory. Journal of Management, 27(6), 755–775.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modeling in practice: a review and recommended two-step approach. Psychological Bulletin, 103, 411–423.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anna, A. L., Chandler, G. N., Janssen, E., & Mero, N. P. (2000). Women business owners in traditional and non-traditional industries. Journal of Business Venturing, 15(3), 279–303.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argote, L. (1999). Organizational Learning: Creating, Retaining and Transferring Knowledge. Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Argote, L., McEvily, B., & Reagans, R. (2003). Introduction to the special issue on managing knowledge in organizations: creating, retaining, and transferring knowledge. Management Science, 49(4), v-viii.

  • Armstrong, J. S., & Overton, T. S. (1977). Estimating nonresponse bias in mail surveys. Journal of Marketing Research, 143, 396–402.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atherton, A. (2003). The uncertainty of knowing: an analysis of the nature of knowledge in a small business context. Human Relations, 56(11), 1379–1398.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boden, R. J., & Nucci, A. R. (2000). On the survival prospects of men’s and women’s new business ventures. Journal of Business Venturing, 15(4), 347–362.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bollen, K. A. (1989). Structural Equations with Latent Variables. New York: John Wiley and Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, S. W., Shepherd, D. A., & Wiklund, J. (2010). The Importance of slack for new organizations facing ‘tough’ environments. Journal of Management Studies, 48(5), 1071–1097.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M.W., & Cudek, R. (1993). Alternative ways of assessing models fit. In Bollen, K. A., Long, J.S (Eds), Testing structural equation models (pp. 136–162). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications

  • Brüderl, J., & Preisendörfer, P. (1998). Network support and the success of newly founded businesses. Small Business Economics, 10, 213–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, C. G. (1992). Research on women business owners: past trends, a new perspective and future directions. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 16(4), 5–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush, C. G., Carter, N., Greene, P. G., Hart, M., & Gatewood, E. J. (2002). The role of social capital and gender in linking financial suppliers and entrepreneurial firms: a framework for future research. Venture Capital Journal, 4(4), 305–323.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgelman, R. A., & Grove, A. S. (2007). Let chaos reign, then rein in chaos - repeteadly: Managing strategic dynamics for corporate longevity. Strategic Management Journal, 28(10), 965–979.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, N. (2002). The role of risk orientation on financing expectations in new venture creation: Does sex matter?. Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research. Babson-Kauffman Foundation. Available at http://www.babson.edu/entrep/fer/Babson2002/VI/VI_P2/P2/html/vi-p2.htm

  • Carter, S., & Marlow, S. (2003). Accounting for change: professionalism as a challenge to gender disadvantage in entrepreneurship. In J. Butler (Ed.), New Perspectives on Women Entrepreneurs, Research in Entrepreneurship and Management Series (pp. 181–202). Greenwich CT: Information Age Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, N. M., Williams, M., & Reynolds, P. D. (1997). Discontinuance among new firms in retail: the influence of initial resources, strategy, and gender. Journal of Business Venturing, 12, 125–145.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter, S., Anderson, S., & Shaw E. (2001). Women’s business ownership: A review of the academic

  • Chaston, I., & Sadler-Smith, E. (2011). Entrepreneurial Cognition, Entrepreneurial Orientation and Firm Capability in the creative industries. British Journal of Management, 23(3), 415–432.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, W. Y., & Levinthal, D. (1990). Absorptive capacity: a new learning perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35, 128–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, S. (2002). Constraints faced by women small business owners: evidence from the data. Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship, 7(2), 151–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coleman, S. (2007). The role of human and financial capital in the profitability and growth of women-owned small firms. Journal of Small Business Management, 45(3), 303–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins-Dodd, C., Gordon, I., & Smart, C. (2004). Further evidence on the role of gender in financial performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 42(4), 395–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Conner, K. R., & Prahalad, C. K. (1996). A resource-based theory of the firm: knowledge versus opportunism. Organization Science, 7(5), 477–501.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cope, J. (2005). Toward a dynamic learning perspective of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(4), 373–397.

    Google Scholar 

  • Corbett, A. C. (2005). Experiential learning within the process of opportunity identification and exploitation. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(4), 473–491.

    Google Scholar 

  • Covin, J. G., & Slevin, D. P. (1989). Strategic management of small firms in hostile and benign environments. Strategic Management Journal, 10(1), 75–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Covin, J. G., Green, K., & Slevin, D. P. (2006). Strategic process effects on the entrepreneurial orientation-sales growth rate relationship. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 30(1), 57–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coyle, H.E., & Flannery, D. (2005). Gendered contexts of learning: female entrepreneurs in male-dominated industries within the United States. Available at: http://pages.towson.edu/ncctrw/summer%20institutes/Papers-Website/Coyle%2005.pdf

  • Cromie, S., & Birley, S. (1992). Networking by female business owners in Northern Ireland. Journal of Business Venturing, 7(3), 237–251.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuba, R., Decenzo, D., & Anish, A. (1983). Management practices of successful female business owners. American Journal of Small Business, 8(2), 40–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Davidsson, P. A., & Honig, B. (2003). The role of social and human capital among nascent entrepreneurs. Journal of Business Venturing, 18(3), 301–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Díaz, C., & Carter, S. (2009). Resource mobilization through business owners’ networks: is gender an issue? International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 13, 226–252.

    Google Scholar 

  • Du Rietz, A., & Henrekson, M. (2000). Testing the female underperformance hypothesis. Small Business Economics, 14(1), 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dyer, J., & Singh, H. (1998). The relational view: cooperative strategy and sources of interorganizational competitive advantage. Academy of Management Review, 23(4), 660–679.

    Google Scholar 

  • Escribá –Esteve, A., Sánchez-Peinado, L., & Sánchez-Peinado, E. (2009). The influence of top management teams in the strategic orientation and performance of small and medium-sized enterprises. British Journal of Management, 20, 581–597.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenwick, T., & Hutton, S. (2000). Women crafting new work: The learning of women entrepreneurs. Paper presented as Adult Education Research Conference. BC: University of British Columbia: Vancouver.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, E. A., Reuber, R., & Dyke, L. (1993). A theoretical overview and extension of research on sex gender and entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 8(2), 151–168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 4, 39–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goktan, A.B.., & Gupta, V.K. (2013). Sex, gender, and individual entrepreneurial orientation: Evidence from four countries. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1–18. doi:10.1007/s11365-013-0278-z

  • González, M. D., & Husted, B. W. (2011). Gender, human capital, and opportunity identification in Mexico. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 3(3), 236–253.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17, 109–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gundry, L. K., & Welsch, H. P. (2001). The ambitious entrepreneur: high growth strategies of women-owned enterprises. Journal of Business Venturing, 16(5), 453–470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, V. K., & Bhawe, N. M. (2007). The influence of proactive personality and stereotype threat on women’s entrepreneurial intentions. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 13, 73–85.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, V. K., Goktan, A. B., & Gunay, G. (2014). Gender differences in evaluation of new business opportunity: a stereotype threat perspective. Journal of Business Venturing, 29(2), 273–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hair, J. H., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1995). Multivariate Data Analysis. Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hechavarria, D. M., Ingram, A., Justo, R., & Terjesen, S. (2012). Are women more likely to pursue social and environmental entrepreneurship? In K. D. Hughes & J. E. Jennings (Eds.), Global women’s entrepreneurship research: Diverse settings, questions and approaches (pp. 135–151). Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hisrich, R. D., & Brush, C. G. (1987). Women entrepreneurs: A longitudinal study. In N. C. Churchill, J. A. Hornaday, B. A. Kirchhoff, O. J. Krasner, & K. H. Vesper (Eds.), Frontiers of Entrepreneurial Research (pp. 187–199). Boston MA: Babson College.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2003). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization (5th ed.). Western Ohio: Thomson South.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoyle, R. H. (1995). The structural equation modeling approach: Basic concepts and fundamental issues. In R. H. Hoyle (Ed.), Structural Equation Modeling: Concepts Issues and Applications (pp. 1–15). Thousand Oaks CA: Sage Publications Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huber, G. P. (1991). Organizational learning: the contributing processes and the literature. Organization Science, 2, 88–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, M., Hughest, P., & Morgan, R. E. (2007). Exploitative learning and entrepreneurial orientation alignment in emerging young firm: implications for market and response performance. British Journal of Management, 18, 359–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, K. D., Jennings, J. E., Brush, C., Carter, S., & Welter, F. (2012). Extending women’s entrepreneurship research in new directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 36, 429–442.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hult, G. T. M., Hurley, R. F., & Knight, G. A. (2004). Innovativeness: its antecedents and impact on business performance. Industrial Marketing Management, 33(5), 429–438.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, J. E., & Brush, C. G. (2013). Research on women entrepreneurs: challenges to (and from) the broader entrepreneurship literature? Academy of Management Annals, 7, 661–713.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (1993). Lisrel 8: Structural Equation Modeling with the Simplis Command Language. Chicago: Scientific Software International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jöreskog, K. G., & Sörbom, D. (2002). LISREL 8: Structural Equation Modeling with the SIMPLIS Command Language. Chicago: Scientific Software International.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keh, H. T., Foo, M. D., & Lim, B. C. (2002). Opportunity evaluation under risky conditions: the cognitive processes of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 27, 125–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kepler, E., & Shane, S. (2007). Are male and female entrepreneurs really that different? Washington DC: SBA Office of Advocacy, Working Paper 309

  • Kreiser, P. M., Marino, L. D., & Weaver, K. M. (2002). Assessing the psychometric properties of the Entrepreneurial Orientation scale: A multi-country analysis (pp. 71–94). Summer: Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kyrgidou, L. P., & Spyropoulou, S. (2012). Drivers and performance outcomes of innovativeness: an empirical study. British Journal of Management, published online. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8551.2011.00803.x.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lechner, C., & Gudmundsson, S. V. (2014). Entrepreneurial orientation, firm strategy and small firm performance. International Small Business Journal, 32(1), 36–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C., Lee, K., & Pennings, J. M. (2001). Internal capabilities external networks and performance: a study on technology-based ventures. Strategic Management Journal, 22(6/7), 615–640.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leiponen, A. (2000). Competencies innovation and profitability of firms. Economics of Innovation and New Technology, 9(1), 1–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lerner, M., & Almor, T. (2002). Relationships among strategic capabilities and the performance of women-owned small ventures. Journal of Small Business Management, 40, 109–125. doi:10.1111/1540-627X.00044.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liao, J., Welsch, H. Y., & Stoica, M. (2003). Organizational absorptive capacity and responsiveness: an empirical investigation of growth-oriented SMEs. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 28(1), 63–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lim, S., & Envick, B. R. (2013). Gender and entrepreneurial orientation: a multi-country study. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 9, 465–482.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumpkin, G. T., & Dess, D. G. (1996). Clarifying the entrepreneurial orientation construct and linking it to performance. Academy of Management Review, 21(1), 135–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumpkin, G. T., & Dess, G. G. (2001). Linking two dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation to firm performance: the moderating role of environment and industry life cycle. Journal of Business Venturing, 16, 429–451.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manolova, T. S., Carter, N. M., Manev, I. M., & Gyoshev, B. S. (2007). The differential effect of men and women entrepreneurs human capital and networking on growth expectancies in Bulgaria. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 31(3), 407–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markman, G. D., Balkin, D. B., & Baron, R. A. (2002). Inventors and new venture formation: the effects of general self-efficacy and regretful thinking. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 27(2), 149–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marlow, S., & Patton, D. (2005). All credit to men? Entrepreneurship finance and gender. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(6), 717–734.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marvel, M. R., & Lumpkin, G. T. (2007). Technology entrepreneurs’ human capital and its effect on innovation radicalness. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 31(6), 807–828.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masters, R., & Meier, R. (1988). Sex differences and risk taking propensity of entrepreneurs. Journal of Small Business Management, 26(1), 31–35.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matusik, S. F., & Heeley, M. B. (2005). Absorptive capacity in the software industry: identifying Dimensions that affect knowledge and knowledge creation activities. Journal of Management, 31(4), 549–572.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGowan, P., Redeker, C. L., Cooper, S. Y., & Greenan, K. (2012). Female entrepreneurship and the management of business and domestic roles: motivations, expectations and realities. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development, 24(1/2), 53–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Menon, T., & Pfeffer, J. (2003). Valuing internal versus external knowledge. Management Science, 49(4), 497–513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Miller, D., & Friesen, P. H. (1978). Archetypes of strategy formulation. Management Science, 24(9), 921–933.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minniti, M. (2009). Gender Issues in Entrepreneurship. Foundations and Trends in Entrepreneurhip, 57(8), 1551–3114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minniti, M., & Nardone, C. (2007). Being in someone else’s shoes: gender and nascent entrepreneurship. Small Business Economics Journal, 28(2–3), 223–239.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, D. P., & Buttner, E. H. (1997). Women Entrepreneurs: Moving Beyond the Glass Ceiling. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moreno, A. M., & Casillas, J. C. (2008). Entrepreneurial orientation and growth of SMEs: a causal model. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 32(3), 507–528.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naman, J. L., & Slevin, D. P. (1993). Entrepreneurship and the concept of fit: a model and empirical tests. Strategic Management Journal, 14, 137–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neergaard, H., Shaw, E., & Carter, S. (2005). The impact of gender, social capital and networks on business ownership: a research agenda. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 11(5), 338–357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orser, B. J., Riding, A. L., & Manley, K. (2006). Women entrepreneurs and financial capital. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 30, 643–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Orser, B., Spence, M., Riding, A., & Carrington, C. A. (2010). Gender and export propensity. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 34, 933–957.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ozgen, E., & Baron, R. A. (2007). Social sources of information in opportunity recognition: effects of mentors industry networks and professional forums. Journal of Business Venturing, 22(2), 174–192.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pablo-Martí, F., García-Tabuenca, A., & Crespo-Espert, J. L. (2014). Do gender-related differences exist in Spanish entrepreneurial activities? International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 6(2), 200–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., & Organ, D. W. (1986). Self-reports in organizational research: problems and prospects. Journal of Management, 12(4), 531–544.

    Google Scholar 

  • Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioural research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 885, 879–903.

    Google Scholar 

  • Politis, D. (2005). The process of entrepreneurial learning: a conceptual framework. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29, 399–424.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rauch, A., Wiklund, J., Lumpkin, G. T., & Frese, M. (2009). Entrepreneurial orientation and business performance: an assessment of past research and suggestions for the future. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 33(3), 761–787.

    Google Scholar 

  • Renzulli, L. A., Aldrich, H., & Moody, J. (2000). Family matters: gender, networks, and entrepreneurial outcomes. Social Forces, 79(2), 523–546.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodan, S., & Galunic, C. (2004). More than network structure: how knowledge heterogeneity influences managerial performance and innovativeness. Strategic Management Journal, 25, 541–562.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenbaum, G. (2013). Toward an understanding of how entrepreneurs access and use networks/social capital to internationalize: A gender perspective. In H. Etemad, T. K. Madsen, E. S. Rasmussen, & P. Servaid (Eds.), Current Issues in International Entrepreneurship (pp. 296–316). Cheltenham (UK): Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenkopf, L., & Nerkar, A. (2001). Beyond local search: boundary-spanning exploration and impact in the optical disk industry. Strategic Management Journal, 22, 287–306.

    Google Scholar 

  • Runyan, R. C., Huddleston, P., & Swinney, J. (2006). Entrepreneurial orientation and social capital as small firm strategies: a study of gender differences from a resource-based view. Entrepreneurship Management, 2, 455–477.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shane, S. (2000). Prior knowledge and the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities. Organization Science, 11(4), 448–469.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma, S. (1996). Applied Multivariate Techniques. New York: John Wiley & Sons.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaw, E., Marlow, S., Lam, W., & Carter, S. (2009). Gender and entrepreneurial capital: implications for firm performance. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 11, 25–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shepherd, D. A., & DeTienne, D. R. (2005). Prior knowledge potential financial reward and opportunity identification. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 29(1), 91–112.

    Google Scholar 

  • Slater, S. F., & Narver, J. C. (2000). Market oriented is more than being customer-led. Strategic Management Journal, 20, 1165–1168.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonfield, M., Lussier, R., Corman, J., & McKinney, M. (2001). Gender comparisons in strategic decision-making: an empirical analysis of the entrepreneurial strategy matrix. Journal of Small Business Management, 39(2), 165–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorenson, R. L., Folker, C. A., & Brigham, K. H. (2008). The collaborative network orientation: achieving business success through collaborative relationships. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 32, 615–634.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spender, J. C. (1996). Making knowledge the basis of a dynamic theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17, 45–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stam, W., Arzlanian, S., & Elfring, T. (2014). Social capital of entrepreneurs and small firm performance: a meta-analysis of contextual and methodological moderators. Journal of Business Venturing, 29(1), 152–173.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, D. M., & Marvel, M. R. (2011). Knowledge acquisition, network reliance, and early-stage technology venture outcomes. Journal of Management Studies, 48, 1169–1193.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, J. (2008). Breaking the “bamboo curtain” and the “glass ceiling”: the experience of women entrepreneurs in high-tech industries in an emerging market. Journal of Business Ethics, 80(3), 547–564.

    Google Scholar 

  • Teng, B. (2007). Corporate entrepreneurship activities through strategic alliances. Journal of Management Studies, 44(1), 119–142.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorpe, R., Holt, R., Macpherson, A., & Pittaway, L. (2005). Using knowledge within small and medium-sized firms: a systematic review of the evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews, 7(4), 257–281.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ucbasaran, D., Westhead, P., & Wright, M. (2009). The extent and nature of opportunity identification by experienced entrepreneurs. Journal of Business Venturing, 24, 99–115.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venkatraman, N., & Ramanujan, V. (1986). Measurement of business performance in strategy research: a comparison of approaches. Academy of Management Review, 11(4), 801–814.

  • Verheul, I., & Thurik, A. R. (2001). Start-up capital: “Does gender matter?”. Small Business Economics, 16(4), 329–345.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C. L. (2008). Entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation and firm performance. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 32, 635–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watkins, J. M., & Watkins, D. S. (1986). The female entrepreneur: Her background and determinants of business choice - some British data. In J. Curran et al. (Eds.), The Survival of the Small Firm (The Economics of Survival and Entrepreneurship, Vol. 1, pp. 271–288). Aldershot: Gower Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson, J. (2002). Comparing the performance of male- and female- controlled businesses: Relating outputs to inputs. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 26(3), 91–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • West, G. P., & Noel, T. W. (2009). The impact of knowledge resources on new venture performance. Journal of Small Business Management, 47(1), 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiklund, J., & Shepherd, D. (2003). Knowledge-based resources, entrepreneurial orientation, and the performance of small and medium sized business. Strategic Management Journal, 24(13), 1307–1314.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiklund, J., & Shepherd, D. (2005). Entrepreneurial orientation and small business performance: A configurational approach. Journal of Business Venturing, 20(1), 71–91.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yli-Renko, H., Autio, E., & Sapienza, H. J. (2001). Social capital, knowledge acquisitions, and knowledge exploitation in young technology-based firms. Strategic Management Journal, 22(6/7), 587–613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A., & George, G. (2002). Absorptive capacity: a review, reconceptualization, and extension. Academy of Management Review, 27(2), 185–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A., Jennings, D. F., & Kuratko, D. F. (1999). The antecedents and consequences of firm-level entrepreneurship: the state of the field. Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 24(2), 45–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zahra, S. A., Filatotchev, I., & Wright, M. (2009). How do threshold firms sustain corporate entrepreneurship? The role of boards and absorptive capacity. Journal of Business Venturing, 24(3), 248–260.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain [FEM2009-08511].

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, s/n, C.P.18071, Granada, Spain

    María del Mar Fuentes-Fuentes, Ana M. Bojica & Matilde Ruiz-Arroyo

Authors
  1. María del Mar Fuentes-Fuentes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ana M. Bojica
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Matilde Ruiz-Arroyo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ana M. Bojica.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Fuentes-Fuentes, M., Bojica, A.M. & Ruiz-Arroyo, M. Entrepreneurial orientation and knowledge acquisition: effects on performance in the specific context of women-owned firms. Int Entrep Manag J 11, 695–717 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-014-0336-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-014-0336-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation