Purpose: The present study attempts to investigate work engagement, workaholism and self-efficacy towards entrepreneurial performance among the entrepreneurs of Saudi Arabia. Theoretical framework: The study integrates work engagement, workaholism, and self-efficacy in predicting job performance. Besides, the relationship between self-efficacy and work engagement in the presence of workaholism and job performance has yet to be thoroughly explored.
Design/Methodology/ Approach: The study is quantitatively based on cross-sectional data. A survey questionnaire is applied to get a response from the entrepreneurs through snowball sampling. In total, 450 survey questionnaires were distributed. In return, we received 280 with a response rate of 62%.
Findings: By employing the structural equation model (SEM), the study found a significant effect of work engagement on innovative behaviour, business growth and subjective business success. Further, self-efficacy significantly predicts innovative behaviour, business growth, subjective business success and work engagement. On the other hand, workaholism has a significant negative predictor of innovative behaviour, business growth, and subjective business success.
Research, practical and social implications: The empirical proof of the study would deepen the new insights for the conceptualization of entrepreneurship performance in a developing context. The study may fill the gaps at a global level for understanding the factors of entrepreneurship performance among entrepreneurs.
Originality/ value: The definite link between self-efficacy and work engagement may offer new insight into the entrepreneurship and management literature. The outcomes of the study offer a shred of empirical evidence for entrepreneurial performance through work engagement, workaholism and self-efficacy.