Abstract
D.Phil.
The importance of entrepreneurship in economic development is hardly disputed
since entrepreneurs launch successful businesses, which create employment,
expand markets, and increase production and services, which can revitalize social
and productive networks to bring vigour into communities (Luiz, 2007). Recently,
empirical studies were conducted that provided evidence that supports the
common understanding that Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) leads to superior
Firm Performance (FP) (Covin & Zahra, 1995). EO as a topic in the
entrepreneurship literature is much debated and deliberated. A plea has been
made to explore the antecedents External Environment (EE), Internal Organisation
(IO), firm demographics, and founder/owner/manager biographical data of EO.
The key focus of this study is to provide research evidence for the predictive model
EO - FP and the relationship(s) of the antecedent’s: Owner/Manager Biographics,
Firm Demographics, EE, and IO factors might have with a firm’s EO – FP.