Entrepreneurial orientation of Malaysian Bumiputera small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs): some preliminary findings

This paper highlights the concept of double embeddedness in which the gamut of firm-level entrepreneurship studies in the developing economies can be analysed through the synergy between the role of states in fostering industrial transformation to the spawning-off entrepreneurial activities and subsequently, the growth of resilient local small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises (SMMEs). In this context - Malaysia which is the setting of this study was often portrayed as a leading model among the developing economies since the state actively intervened to diversifying its industrial base along side the policy of addressing the inter-ethnic economic disparities by cultivating the indigenous population (Bumiputera) as manufactures. Hence, this paper addresses a holistic view of the Bumiputera manufacturing firms' proclivity towards entrepreneurial orientation in this distinctive framework that demonstrated a strong government patronage and firm linkages initiatives. The constructs involved include entrepreneurial orientation, firm structural organicity, environmental context, extensiveness and utilization of firm linkages usage, firm absorptive capacity as well as firm performance.