Influences of business model innovation in entrepreneurial orientation and organizational performance: evidences in supermarkets of Santa Catarina

The supermarket sector is highly competitive with an intense search for alternatives to overcome business challenges, increase consumption and improve results. In this context, this study analyzed the influences of entrepreneurial orientation on the relationship between business model innovation and organizational performance. To this end, a quantitative, descriptive approach was adopted, and its operationalization took place through a survey with 77 supermarkets, whose data were managed through structural equation modeling. The results reveal that business model innovation does not directly influence organizational performance. Only from the inclusion of entrepreneurial orientation was it possible to reveal the indirect relationship of business model innovation on organizational performance. This evidence reveals that indistinct innovation may not be able to affect performance positively; unplanned innovation can even hurt performance. With this, it is concluded that in a very diverse, competitive segment and direct service to the public, such as the supermarket sector, innovation in the business model may not generate better results. In the non-academic professional scope, the evidence identified allows us to assure the importance of entrepreneurial orientation, and demonstrate that this would be the primary factor to direct innovative efforts and thus improve business performance.