Boundary Spanning in the Entrepreneurial Firm: Effects on Innovation and Firm Performance

This study examines the role of boundary spanning breadth and depth in driving innovation and performance within entrepreneurial firms. Three boundary spanning objectives are introduced to determine how the purpose with which boundary spanning is pursued may have a unique effect on firm innovativeness. Absorptive capacity is proposed as a moderating variable between boundary spanning breadth and depth and firm innovativeness. Using multiple regression analysis with a sample of entrepreneurial firms, this study demonstrates that pursuing boundary spanning with a strategic objective is the most important driver of firm innovativeness and performance.