How entrepreneurial orientation influences project portfolio success: The roles of ideation portfolio management and firm size

• This paper constructs a theoretical model of entrepreneurial orientation affecting project portfolio success, examines the roles, paths, and boundaries of entrepreneurial orientation affecting project portfolio success, and develops a mechanism for project portfolio success. • Ideation portfolio management has a partial mediating effect in the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and project portfolio success, which identifies that the importance of ideation portfolio management for project portfolio success and improving the understanding of effect of entrepreneurial orientation on project portfolio success. • Firm size has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and project portfolio success, a positive moderating effect on the relationship between ideation portfolio management and project portfolio success. Recent studies emphasize the importance of entrepreneurial orientation on project portfolio success, but there is little research on the influence of contextual factors in entrepreneurial orientation on project portfolio success. Meanwhile, although some studies have examined the role of ideation portfolio management on project portfolio success, the antecedents of ideation portfolio management have not been adequately explained. It can be reasonably assumed that entrepreneurial orientation assists firms in exploring new opportunities, developing their business and coping with changes of external environment. It is therefore logical to posit that entrepreneurial orientation should be an antecedent of ideation portfolio management and contribute to project portfolio success, and that firm size may affect the processes. The paper examines the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and project portfolio success, and the roles of ideation portfolio management and firm size using a sample of 450 Chinese firms. The results show that ideation portfolio management has a mediating effect between entrepreneurial orientation and project portfolio success. Moreover, if firm size is larger, the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on project portfolio success is weaker, and the impact of ideation portfolio management on project portfolio success is stronger. Surprisingly, the effect of entrepreneurial orientation on ideation portfolio management does not depend on firm size.