This study empirically examined how entrepreneurial preparation, digital transformation, and government support influence business performance through entrepreneurial orientation (EO) among Korean micro-enterprises. In addition, it analyzed the moderating effect of managerial difficulties and the group differences by age. Using 12,666 valid responses from the 2023 National Survey on Micro-Enterprises conducted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the data were analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed four key findings. First, entrepreneurial preparation, digital transformation, and government support all had positive effects on EO, with entrepreneurial preparation exerting the strongest influence. Second, EO significantly improved business performance and served as a mediating mechanism linking the three antecedents to performance outcomes. Third, managerial difficulties negatively moderated the relationship between EO and performance, suggesting that environmental constraints weaken the impact of entrepreneurial orientation. Fourth, the multi-group analysis (PLS-MGA) showed statistically significant differences between entrepreneurs under 40 and those aged 50 or older in three paths—entrepreneurial preparation, digital transformation, and managerial difficulty. Younger entrepreneurs were more likely to leverage digital technologies and structured preparation to strengthen EO, while older entrepreneurs were more affected by managerial obstacles. These findings contribute theoretically by validating an integrated model of EO and performance in micro-enterprises, and practically by emphasizing the need for policy interventions that enhance pre-startup education, digital capability, and managerial environment improvement.
Hyeong‐Min Kim (Sun,) studied this question.