Resource-induced coping heuristics and entrepreneurial orientation in dynamic environments

•Cognitive coping heuristics influence EO.•Acquiring, protecting, and developing resources significantly impact EO.•Environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between resource-induced coping heuristics and EO. Prior studies show the impact of various facets of individual characteristics in driving a. firm’s entrepreneurial orientation (EO). The present study complements this line of research by deriving insights from the conservation of resources (COR) theory to examine the effects of resource-induced coping heuristics (acquiring, protecting, and developing resources) on EO. Additionally, it investigates the underlying conditions influencing these relationships. Data were collected from new ventures in two developing countries (Ghana, N = 204, and Ethiopia, N = 214). Utilizing the moderated hierarchical regression analysis, the results show that the three dimensions of resource-induced coping heuristics positively relate to EO and these relationships are amplified when environmental dynamism is high. These findings provide a nuanced understanding of the relationships among the different types of resource-induced coping heuristics and EO. In this way, the study extends the boundaries of the resource-induced coping heuristics, EO, and broader entrepreneurship literature.