When Collaboration Meets Responsibility: Responsible Innovation as a Pathway Linking Collaborative and Responsible Entrepreneurship to Venture Performance

ABSTRACT This study examines how collaborative entrepreneurship and responsible entrepreneurship shape venture performance. It further examines the mediating role of responsible innovation in explaining these relationships. Moreover, the study explores the moderating effect of entrepreneurial strategy on the link between responsible innovation and venture performance. Using survey data from 340 small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in Guangdong, China, the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS–SEM) to test the proposed relationships. The results indicate that collaborative and responsible entrepreneurship are significantly and positively related to venture performance. In addition, responsible innovation significantly mediates the relationships among collaborative entrepreneurship, responsible entrepreneurship, and venture performance. The findings further show that entrepreneurial strategy significantly strengthens the relationship between responsible innovation and venture performance. It also offers practical insights for SMEs aiming to improve competitiveness by fostering collaborative entrepreneurial practices, embedding responsibility into decision‐making, and aligning innovation efforts with adaptive strategies.