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Abstract Like other developing countries, Pakistan is under severe economic pressure and striving to boost entrepreneurial orientation for achieving growth through minimal depletion of natural resources. In order to facilitate widespread and successful adoption of green entrepreneurial farming, it is crucial to address barriers inhibiting the uptake of green entrepreneurial activities in farming for the sustainability of natural resources as well as food provision. To this end, the present study aimed to investigate barriers in the adoption of green entrepreneurial farming in Pakistan. To fulfill the study objectives, after a comprehensive literature review and field visit, 34 barriers were identified. The results based on ranking analysis identified 20 out of 34 barriers as critical barriers to adoption of green entrepreneurial farming in the country. Furthermore, factor analysis was employed to group underlying 20 critical barriers into six major categories viz. 1) training and development-related barriers, 2) entrepreneurial orientation-related barriers, 3) market orientation-related barriers, 4) customer orientation-related barriers, 5) innovation orientation-related barriers, and 6) green supporting supplies-related barriers. Results showed that most dominant barrier among six groupings was training and development-related barriers and the marginal role of government in the provision of such endeavours. This implies that government needs to play a more active role in the adoption and promotion of green entrepreneurial farming in Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterprises from different economic sectors play a fundamental role in furthering a sustainable development in the region where it is inserted. However, it is the environmental practices of these organizations which determine the prompt impacts on environmental sustainability. In this sense, Cleaner Production is responsible for the decrease in natural and material resources’ consumption and energy, as well as for the systematic decrease in waste and pollutants emission. Thus, it is important to identify the strategical guides which came before Cleaner Production and, consequently, lead the enterprises to achieve a Sustainable Competitive Advantage before their competitors. In this context, this research aims at analysing the influence of strategic drivers (Entrepreneurial Orientation, Market Orientation and Knowledge Management Orientation) on Cleaner Production and the Sustainable Competitive Advantage. This research was about a survey applied to 1774 small and medium enterprises in Southern Brazil, in the sectors of transformation industry, commerce and services, and it was analysed by the Structural Equation Modelling, typifying it as a quantitative and descriptive research. The results show there is an intense previous influence of strategic drivers over Cleaner Production, pointing out that the correlations among the three antecedents have a high intensity, showing that the enterprises researched use the strategic drivers separately, and that, when they are combined, there is a higher chance of Cleaner Production success, with a significant increase in Sustainable Competitive Advantage for the small and medium enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore the relationship between strategic orientations (market orientation and entrepreneurial orientation), organizational ambidexterity, and sustained competitive advantage under the mediation of Industry 4.0 readiness. Based on data from a sample of 144 SMEs belonging to different economic sectors, we employed partial least squares–structural equation modeling to test our hypotheses. Empirical research suggests that market orientation and entrepreneurial orientation have a favorable relationship with Industry 4.0 readiness and sustainable competitive advantage. Moreover, our findings reveal that entrepreneurial orientation has a greater effect on SCA than market orientation in emerging markets. Furthermore, Industry 4.0 readiness acts as a full intermediary between strategic orientations and sustainable competitive advantage. This study contributes to the existing literature by exploring the relationship between strategic orientation and sustainable competitive advantage through Industry 4.0 as the mediator. SMEs' managers can use these findings to rethink their technology adoption strategies and exploitative and explorative approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Only a small fraction of SMEs are successful in achieving exceptional performance and sustainable growth, The literature shows that there is still a gap for effective ways to increase the size of that fraction. This paper aims to contribute in filling the gap by identifying factors affecting SME performance and, hence, their development; and to develop a conceptual framework explaining their relationships. The literature reveals that although there is positive relationship between entrepreneur traits and firm performance in the context of SMEs, the relationship is still inconclusive; suggesting that there are intervening constructs between the two constructs. Field observations and literature reviews suggest five second- order constructs serving mediating roles between entrepreneur traits and firm performance that may clarify the relationship, i.e., (1) innovative performance, (2) innovative capacity, (3) organizational search, (4) market orientation, and (5) entrepreneurial orientation. Although the relationships among the seven constructs have been extensively studied in the extant literature, this paper is one of the few efforts, if any, in investigating the seven constructs in a comprehensive framework as a basis for further studies. If empirically supported, the proposed framework may provide an effective alternative in assisting entrepreneurs and SMEs’ owners to develop their firms more effectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]