Intellectual Capital, Entrepreneurial Strategy and New Ventures Performance: Mediating Role of Competitive Advantage

Abstract

In dynamic markets, newly established ventures look for competitive strategies and skills to ensure their survival and to avoid failure. This paper examines the influence of venture internal capabilities including intellectual capital and entrepreneurial strategy on new venture performance by using competitive advantage as a mediator. We collected data from 227 ventures through a structured questionnaire in addition to interviewing 17 entrepreneurs. The findings of the study indicate that intellectual capital, entrepreneurial strategy and competitive advantage have a significant positive influence on new venture performance. Similarly, intellectual capital and entrepreneurial strategy significantly positively contribute to competitive advantage. Furthermore, competitive advantage fully mediates the relationship between intellectual capital and new venture performance as well as it plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between entrepreneurial strategy and new venture performance. The results suggest that the aforementioned internal capabilities play a significant role in new venture success which might be beneficial for owners and managers to achieve competitive position in a turbulent market