Investigating the Impact of business model innovation on creation of competitive advantage with the mediating effects of entrepreneurial empowering (Case Study: ICT-Based Knowledge-Based Companies)

The present research, which was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-survey in terms of data collection method, investigated the effect of business model innovation on creating a competitive advantage with the mediating role of entrepreneurial capability. The statistical population of the study included 55 managers of knowledge-based companies in the field of information and communication technology in Yazd in 2020, which due to their small number and based on the census method, a questionnaire was distributed and completed to all of them. Data collection tools included standard questionnaires of business model innovation of Pang et al (2019), entrepreneurial capability of Henao-Zapata & Peiró (2018) and competitive advantage of Tabarsa et al (2012). Data analysis was performed using partial least squares method and Smart PLS2 software. The research results show the positive and significant impact of business model innovation on creating competitive advantage and entrepreneurial capability and the positive and significant impact of entrepreneurial capability on creating competitive advantage in knowledge-based companies in the field of information and communication technology. It was also concluded that business model innovation has an indirect effect on creating competitive advantage through entrepreneurial capability.