Cognitive social capital and absorptive capacity as antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation: a configurational approach

In this study we contribute to solve a gap in the literature regarding the proposal of new determining factors of entrepreneurial orientation. Specifically, we present a configurational model to explain how entrepreneurial orientation (EO) is developed in a dynamic environment. Based on a sample of companies in the agri-food sector in Spain, this work examines how cognitive social capital and absorptive capacity (ACAP) jointly affect EO in a context of technological dynamism. The configurational approach highlights the existence of configurations or multidimensional sets of elements that are efficient when established in conjunction, as opposed to others that are detrimental to the performance of the company. In this sense, we propose that the combination of cognitive social capital with ACAP heterogeneously affects the influence of technological dynamism on EO through its potential and realized dimensions, which decrease and improve EO, respectively. Therefore, we emphasize the significance of the configurational approach in delving deeper into the connection between internal and external antecedents of EO and the importance of differentiating between potential and realized dimensions of ACAP considering their implications for EO.