Drawing on network theory, this study examines how the entrepreneurship orientation (EO)-performance nexus is intermediated by networks firms establish with government agencies, suppliers, and resource acquisition. Structural equation modelling is used to test the model on a sample of 556 women tourism entrepreneurs in Ghana and Nigeria. Findings indicate that EO positively influences firms’ social ties, resource acquisition, and performance. The results also indicate that establishing strong ties with government agencies leads to more resource acquisition among women owned tourism businesses than strong business ties with suppliers. Furthermore, business ties are more beneficial when they mediate the effect of EO on performance and become weak and negative when the effect is sequentially mediated by business ties and network resource acquisition. Political ties negatively influenced performance. This study provides novel insights into the EO, networks and performance nexus in resource-scarce contexts. The managerial implications for supporting women entrepreneurs are critically examined.

基于网络理论，本研究考察了企业与政府机构，供应商和资源获取所建立的网络如何介导企业家定向（EO）-绩效关系。使用结构方程模型对加纳和尼日利亚的556名女性旅游企业家进行了测试。研究结果表明，EO对公司的社会联系，资源获取和绩效产生积极影响。结果还表明，与政府机构建立牢固的联系比与供应商建立牢固的业务联系，导致女性拥有的旅游企业更多地获取资源。此外，当业务关系调解EO对性能的影响时，业务关系会更有益；而当效果由业务关系和网络资源获取依次调解时，业务关系会变得脆弱和消极。政治联系对绩效产生负面影响。这项研究为资源稀缺的环境中的EO，网络和绩效关系提供了新颖的见解。对支持女企业家的管理意义进行了严格审查。