Social Entrepreneurship Orientation and Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Exploring the Mediating Role of Sustainable Innovation of KSA SMEs

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in today’s economy and are one of the most dynamic and creative frameworks. Social entrepreneurship is increasingly being acknowledged as a key driver of economic and societal progress. In line with this, the present study seeks to examine how sustainable innovation acts as a bridge between social entrepreneurship orientation (SEO) and sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) in Saudi Arabia, with a focus on environmental preservation. A survey was conducted with 103 SME managers in Saudi Arabia. The research followed a positivist philosophy, adopted a deductive approach, and used quantitative methodology with convenience sampling. The results revealed a partial link between SEO and SE and a partially significant connection between SEO and sustainable innovation. Additionally, the findings reveal a significant relationship between sustainable innovation and SE ( p  = .000). The results also indicate that sustainable innovation plays a partially mediating role. Based on the outcomes, the discussion explores the potential theoretical and practical implications, acknowledges the limitations, and provides recommendations for future research.