The Mediating Role of Learning Orientation on the Relationship Between Organizational Structure and Firm Innovativeness: A Study on Turkish Smes

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between learning orientation, organizational structural factors of formalization and centralization levels, and firm innovativeness. The hypothesis of the study based on the assumptions that informalization and decentralization will effect firm innovativeness positively while learning orientation will mediate those relationships. 101 middle and top managers from 33 SMEs (smalll and medium sized companies) in total are subjected to survey. Data taken by the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS program. Hierarchical regression analysis has been implemented to test the hypothesis. Hypothesis of the study has been partially accepted. The results of the study show that informalization effects firm innovativeness positively while two of the learning orientation subdimensions also mediates this relationship.