Understanding the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and strategic learning capability: an empirical investigation

Abstract This research explores the relationship between strategic learning capability—a firm's proficiency at generating, and then acting on, strategic knowledge—and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). While theory posits the inevitably of building strategic learning capability from behaving entrepreneurially, there is little empirical research to validate this proposition and even less understanding of how and why EO contributes to strategic learning capability. Empirical results from 110 manufacturing firms confirm the direct effect of EO on strategic learning capability, and support is found for three constructs—structural organicity, market responsiveness, and strategy formation mode—that fully mediate the EO‐strategic learning capability relationship. Copyright © 2009 Strategic Management Society.