Adaptive Performance in Small and Medium Enterprises: Effects of Feedback Seeking, Work Uncertainty and Entrepreneurial Intention
Keywords:
Feedback-Seeking Behaviour, Adaptive Performance, Work Uncertainty, Entrepreneurial Intention, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)Abstract
The paper examines the relationship between feedback seeking and employees’ adaptive performance with the mediating role of work uncertainty and entrepreneurial intention within the Self-Determination Theory framework. Data were gathered using a three‑wave, time‑lagged survey design, targeting Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) employees from Pakistan’s six major cities (Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta) working in the manufacturing and service industries. Parallel multiple mediation was tested through Structural Equational Modelling (SEM). The study reveals that work uncertainty and entrepreneurial intention act as parallel mediators between feedback seeking and employees’ adaptive performance. By highlighting the role of team members, this research shifts the emphasis from managers to peers in soliciting feedback. These insights offer policymakers a new perspective for designing more effective workforce development strategies. Overall, the findings contribute to the feedback‑seeking and adaptive‑performance literature by demonstrating how organisations can increase performance by mitigating work uncertainty and fostering entrepreneurial intention.
JEL Classification Codes: D03, D81, D83, D91, J63, L2, L26, M14
Submitted: June 27, 2024
Last Revised: July 17, 2025
Accepted: August 07, 2025
Conflict of Interest: The Authors declared no Conflict of Interest
Acknowledgment: No administrative and technical support was taken for this research.
Funding: No funding was received for this research
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Copyright (c) 2025 Farhan Qadir, Muhammad Shahid , Gainiya Tazhina
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