Linking sustainability to NGO performance: the role of entrepreneurial orientation

This study explores the mediating role of Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) in linking Triple Bottom Line (TBL) sustainability practices—economic, social, and environmental—to the performance of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operating in Jordan. Drawing upon the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), data were collected through structured surveys from 516 NGO employees, with 444 valid responses analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results show that economic sustainability directly enhances NGO performance, while social and environmental sustainability exert indirect effects through EO. EO was found to partially mediate the impact of economic sustainability and fully mediate the effects of social and environmental dimensions. The model explains 62% of the variance in performance outcomes, affirming EO as a critical internal capability. These findings contribute to the growing literature on sustainability and strategic capabilities in nonprofit contexts and offer practical guidance for NGOs and policymakers seeking to integrate sustainability with adaptive, entrepreneurial approaches to enhance long-term mission performance.