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Rapid economic growth, intense competition, and rising environmental concerns are compelling businesses to attain sustainable performance and preserve long‐run interests. Considering the lack of EO in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the emerging context of Pakistan, the present study investigates the impact of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on sustainable business performance (economic, environmental, and social) by drawing perspective from dynamic capabilities and resource‐based views. The mediating role of innovation capabilities between EO‐sustainable performance and the moderating effect of technology dynamism on the EO‐innovation capabilities link is also examined. Data from 408 Pakistani SMEs was analyzed using the structural equation modeling. The findings reveal a direct positive influence of EO on sustainable performance. Furthermore, innovation capabilities are found to mediate the EO‐sustainable performance relationship, while technology dynamism positively moderates the EO‐innovation capabilities link. These results emphasize the importance of aligning EO with innovation capabilities to adapt to technological changes in the industrial regime. The theoretical contributions emphasize the importance of promoting EO‐innovation capabilities. Practical contributions imply that entrepreneurs should create an enabling environment that fosters innovation capabilities within SMEs to enhance sustainable performance, especially in resource‐constrained emerging settings. The study also offers researchers a foundation for further investigations in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Based on the intellectual capital (IC) theory and the resource-based view (RBV), the paper seeks to elucidate the direct and indirect relationships between IC and competitive advantage in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Therewithal, besides examining the mediating role of innovation capabilities in the IC-competitiveness link, it scrutinizes the moderating effect of entrepreneurial orientation in causing IC to boost competitiveness in SMEs through flourishing innovation capabilities. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from 206 participants working in SMEs operating in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the help of a structured questionnaire distributed through LinkedIn. Partial least square (PLS)-based structural equation modeling (SEM) using SmartPLS 4.0 has been performed to calibrate the auxiliary and structural models. Findings: Based on the empirical analysis, IC significantly and directly enhances the competitive advantages of SMEs. Additionally, innovative capability has been found to be a complementary partial mediating condition in enabling IC to foster competitiveness in SMEs. Furthermore, the moderated mediation analysis reveals that innovation capabilities strongly mediate the association between IC and competitiveness in SMEs, characterizing higher entrepreneurial orientation. Research limitations/implications: The study provides significant insights to academicians and practitioners seeking to comprehend or configure interactions among IC, innovation capabilities, and entrepreneurial orientation in maturing competitiveness among SMEs, especially in emerging economies. Furthermore, the study provides a valuable integrative perspective on SMEs' competitiveness by involving three voguish constituents of contemporary scholarly discourse grounded into the leading underpinning theoretical perspectives, such as IC theory, RBV, and entrepreneurship theory. Originality/value: The uniqueness of this model lies in its rich theory-laden conceptualization and explanation that could extend theoretical debate and managerial action to the next levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]