The relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, innovation performance, and firm performance has attracted the attention of many researchers. However, there is a lack of research on the mediating role of innovation performance on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation, social capital, and firm performance. The purpose of this study is to investigate the mediating effect of innovation performance on the relationships between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance and between social capital and firm performance. The study involves a questionnaire-based survey of managers from a variety of firms operating in Turkey. A total of 665 surveys from 298 firms were received and subjected to structural equation modelling analyses. We find that: (1) entrepreneurial orientation and social capital affect innovation performance, (2) innovation performance affects firm performance, and (3) innovation performance mediates the relationship between social capital and firm performance, and between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance.

Sürdürülebilir rekabet avantajı, işletmelerin sahip oldukları kaynaklara bağlıdır ve bu yüzden kaynaklarla ilgili alınacak kararlar önem arz etmektedir. Bu kaynakların etkin ve verimli kullanılabilmesi de eş zamanlı bilgiye sahip olmayı gerektirmektedir. Yapay zeka uygulamaları eş zamanlı bilgiye erişme problemini ortadan kaldırmakta ve karar verme sürecini hızlandırmaktadır. Bu yüzden işletmelerin karar verici konumunda bulunanlar, geliştirilen yapay zeka uygulamaları sayesinde iş yapış şekillerinde ve kullanılan geleneksel bilgi sistemleri uygulamalarında değişimlere gitmek durumundadırlar. Bu araştırmanın amacı, işletmelerin birbirleriyle olan rekabetlerinde yapay zeka uygulamalarının karar verme sürecinde stratejik bir önem taşıdığını ve yapay zeka uygulamalarının karar verici konumunda bulunan insan faktörü olmadan da var olup olamayacağını tartışmaktır. Bu çerçevede yapılan incelemeler sonucunda, gelecekte yapay zeka uygulamaları ve teknolojilerinin daha da gelişeceği ve işletmelerin karar verme süreçlerinde kullanımının önemli ölçüde artacağı öngörülmektedir.

As the functioning of firms has been changing, the digital transformation process is becoming inevitable for all firms. Therefore, scholars and managers pay great attention to this topic. However, there are still significant gaps about its human-related antecedents, and existing studies on its effects on firm outcomes have presented contradictory findings. By addressing these gaps in the literature, this study examines the effect of transformational leadership and employee self-efficacy as human-related antecedents of digital transformation and also its impact on firm performance. Data were collected from 305 participants who are managers in the manufacturing sector. The findings indicate that both transformational leadership and employee self-efficacy are positively related to digital transformation. Results also reveal that digital transformation is associated with operational and financial performance, and that environmental uncertainty strengthens its relationship with financial performance. This research, therefore, contributes to digital transformation literature, deepens the current knowledge, and offers novel and comprehensive insight, by addressing the gaps in the literature.