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Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are highly concerned about every aspect of their international performance (IP) due to their limited resources. However, the literature has not given equal attention to every necessary aspect and has left some fields unexplored. Moreover, different approaches to assessing SME IP have made the literature even more fragmented. This research aims to identify the gaps in the research context and assessment methods of this concept.

A systematic literature review and a thematic analysis method are employed to review 272 journal papers published in high-quality journals.

By extracting six contexts in which the concept of international performance of SMEs has been analyzed, this study integrates the research themes with geographical domains and highlights which contexts require more attention. Moreover, this study provides a comprehensive review of the current state of this concept’s operationalization methods, illustrating the level of fragmentation and differences in the literature. Following the presentation of an enriched future research agenda, this study guides scholars on the current gaps and needs for research in specific contexts and domains while providing suggestions for a more cohesive assessment of the concept.

This study is the first to systematically review the research concerning the foreign performance of firms with less than 500 employees, extract their research context, illustrate uninvestigated fields and provide helpful suggestions about the concept’s operationalization method based on a comprehensive review of the extant assessment methods.

This paper investigates the factors affecting individual dispositions toward intentions. Specifically, this study aims to investigate the effects of emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial motivation and creativity on the entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Jordan.

The data were gathered through self-administered questionnaires from a sample of 745 university students in Jordan. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares (PLS) analysis.

The results indicate a robust relationship between entrepreneurial motivation and creativity and entrepreneurial intention. However, an insignificant relationship was found between emotional intelligence and entrepreneurial intention. The findings of this study reveal that both creativity and emotional intelligence exert a significant and positive indirect effect on entrepreneurial intentions through the mediation of entrepreneurial motivation.

This work suggests that university administrators should consider the significant roles that emotional intelligence, entrepreneurial motivation and creativity play in shaping the entrepreneurial intentions of university students.

While there is limited existing research on this matter within the Middle Eastern context, especially in Jordan, this study aims to address this gap in the Jordanian entrepreneurial literature. As the first of its kind conducted within Jordanian universities, this study contributes significantly to the understanding of entrepreneurial dynamics in the region. Using the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, this study evaluates emotional intelligence in Jordan. The results contribute to social psychology literature and suggest actionable government measures, integrated into education systems, to encourage entrepreneurial paths for students and alleviate graduate unemployment.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not need only traditional marketing strategies in the dynamic business environment of the manufacturing sector. Entrepreneurial marketing dimension (EMD) is an alternative marketing approach for SMEs. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate whether EMD innovation has a positive and significant effect on SMEs performance on Ghanaian Halal food and beverages.

Correlative descriptive research method was used and 432 questionnaires with five-point Likert scale were distributed among owners-managers of manufacturing sectors of Ghanaian Halal food and beverages SMEs producers were chosen by a simple random sampling method. Structural equations modelling structural equations modelling techniques was used to analyse data.

The result of data analysis indicates a positive and significant effect of EMD on manufacturing SMEs performances of Halal food. Nevertheless, the effect of EMD on the production performance of the aforementioned companies is confirmed positive. The findings also show that production performances of Halal food SMEs result in their financial performance.

The study’s sample is limited to Halal food SMEs manufacturing in Ghana. More research can be done investigating this relationship from different sectors and in Islamic and non-Islamic countries.

This research implies that Halal food SMEs manufacturing producers in a country is imperative in Muslim-minority countries. This study gives a benchmark for the non-Muslim-majority countries which endeavour to embark on the Halal SMEs manufacturing food. Muslim-minority countries that envision to succeed in the global Halal market could emulate Ghana’s approach in branding itself as a recognised non-Muslim-majority country in producing Halal foods. This can be done by implementing innovative, proactive, opportunist, risk-taking and customer-oriented initiatives to achieve better market and innovative performances and higher profits.

This paper fills a knowledge gap by presenting the first comprehensive overview of Halal food SMEs manufacturing performance research that enhances the ongoing discussion in hospitality, entrepreneurship and marketing fields in Islamic and non-Islamic contexts.