Does humane entrepreneurship have value? Exploring the link between employees’ beliefs and firm financial performance: a perceptual approach

Abstract Humane Entrepreneurship, an entrepreneurial strategic posture that integrates sustainability and human-resource attention, is growing rapidly among scholars as a research field; in parallel, many firms have emerged in the corporate world that are humane-entrepreneurship-oriented. This study aims to investigate (1) how Humane Entrepreneurship influences firm financial performance; (2) the link between employees’ beliefs and credos about sustainability actions and firm financial performance; and (3) how Humane Entrepreneurship mediates the relationship between employees’ beliefs and credos about sustainability actions and firm financial performance. The analysis was conducted via a survey of Italian mechanical firms and by testing the proposed framework with structural equation modeling. The study examines Humane Entrepreneurship’s general relevance by providing evidence of the link between Humane Entrepreneurship and firm financial performance in the business field. In addition, the research demonstrates that employees’ beliefs assume a role in boosting both Humane Entrepreneurship and firm financial performance. Moreover, our research holds practical significance in promoting Humane-Entrepreneurship-oriented companies that correspond to contemporary trends. Does Humane Entrepreneurship have value? Exploring the link between employees’ beliefs and firm financial performance: a perceptual approach.