PurposeThis research intends to contribute to the literature of entrepreneurial intentions through determining the factors impacting the entrepreneurial intentions among students in different academic programs. This is in order to enhance and improve entrepreneurship-related procedures within relevant universities.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted by a structured survey questionnaire on 261 students in the University of Hail. The questionnaire was developed based on previous studies. The proposed hypotheses were tested by the use of the structured equation modeling (SEM) via using Amos software.FindingsThe results of the current study support the theoretical integration of the model as most of the hypotheses have been accepted. The results of the survey also show that attitudes toward behavior, self-efficacy, autonomy, risk-taking, pro-activeness and competitive aggressiveness are expressively related with entrepreneurial intention. Yet, social norms and innovativeness are not considerably connected with entrepreneurial intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis study seeks to contribute to the relevant literature by integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the entrepreneurial orientation model (EO). This is in order to identify the factors impacting the intention of entrepreneurship among Saudi university students. As the case in many studies, this present study has some limitations. The main limitation lies in that it would not be possible to generalize the study's findings. This is due to the fact the research is the outcome of examining and studying one Saudi university. Therefore, it would be better to conduct similar studies in other Saudi universities in order to generalize the findings of the study.Practical implicationsThe study's results could be of value to policymakers and university administrators in Saudi Arabia universities by which they could be enabled to allocate resources, develop strategies and provide all requirements for the sake of improving entrepreneurial skills among university students. This comprehensive model can be used as a tool for planning and prioritizing resources in bid for providing the required support as this support would reinforce the entrepreneurial opportunity of university students. As such, students would have better thinking about entrepreneurial work and thus would be assisted in achieving their professional goals and the broader goal of nation building.Originality/valueSince today's youth are viewed as the potential future entrepreneurs, they should be encouraged to achieve the Saudi Kingdom's goals through creating suitable employment opportunities for them by supporting entrepreneurship. Therefore, pointing out the factors impacting the entrepreneurial intention of students will contribute to developing the field of entrepreneurship among young people in Saudi Arabic in general. In addition, realized outcomes would create an exciting new knowledge with regard to the entrepreneurial intention among the youth at the university level.

In today's competitive environment, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) need to be competitive and adopt innovative and strategic approaches to improve their performance. SMEs have been recognized as the main driver of competitiveness, fueling job opportunities and supporting economic development and growth, particularly in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the joint effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO), market orientation (MO), and technology orientation (TO) on financial and nonfinancial performance of SME in Saudi Arabia. In this study, the author has employed a quantitative research method. The study collected data from 206 owners/mangers of SMEs in KSA. The study has used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the research data. The results in this study show that five out of six hypotheses were accepted, indicating that EO, MO, and TO have a positive and significant effect on financial performance, as well as MO and TO have a positive and significant effect on nonfinancial performance. However, EO was found to have an insignificant effect on nonfinancial performance. The results suggest that SMEs need to evaluate their performance in terms of financial and nonfinancial indicators and understand how these measures relate to each other, which will aid in assess achievements and formulate SMEs strategies. This is the first study that adequately examines the joint effect of EO, MO, TO on financial and nonfinancial performance in developing economics, particularly in Saudi SMEs sector.

Goal: This study aims to examine the mediating role of strategic orientations in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Saudi Arabia. Design/Methodology/Approach: Quantitative analysis techniques is used in this study. Data from 206 KSA owners / managers of SMEs is obtained and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Results: Findings indicate that strategic orientations mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance of SMEs in Saudi Arabia. Limitations of the investigation: The proposed model may not be generalised and must be applied in other contexts and cultures. Practical implications: This study indicates that KSA managers should maintain emphasis on entrepreneurship and establish unique strategic techniques to improve efficiency. Policymakers are recommended to establish entrepreneurship initiatives for SMEs to form entrepreneurship. Additional recommendations are also provided. Originality / Value: This study adds to the current body of knowledge by addressing the mediating role of market and technology orientation in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance of Saudi SMEs.