In recent times, the theoretical underpinning of entrepreneurial orientation with sustainability practices has been based on two main theories. First, the regulatory approach theory, which considers individual motivations that lead to problem solving, seizing opportunities, and strategic decision-making to achieve entrepreneurial success (Higgins, 1997). This theory considers two approaches: the promotion approach, which is concerned with advancement, development, growth, and goal achievement; and the prevention approach, which is concerned with safety, security, and accountability in business decision-making (Crowe & Higgins, 1997; Gamache et al., 2020).

Secondly, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) has undoubtedly been among the most analyzed and widely employed method for informing research on behavior and strategic decisions in organizations (Ajzen, 1991). The main postulate of this theory is that when people have a strong intention to perform some action through positive attitudes towards the behavior, there is also a strong subjective norm to perform the behavior with a high level of perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 2011). Furthermore, this theory states that decision-makers in companies behave reasonably and ethically when performing sustainable initiatives that have implications for different stakeholders (Belz & Binder, 2017; Haldar, 2019).

Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) is considered to be the cornerstone of entrepreneurial discipline and has generated in recent years the interest of many scholars, who have mainly studied its effects on innovation and business performance (Montiel-Campos & Ramírez-Ramírez, 2017).

The EO concept was first employed by Miller (1983), who defines it as comprising three dimensions related to generating innovations that involve taking risks which allow the company to anticipate its competitors. Lumpkin and Dess (2001) added two more dimensions: competitive aggressiveness and autonomy. This is why EO helps to explain that when companies regularly adapt to changing situations in the environment, through innovation and tackling risky projects, they can find new ways to continue to grow and obtain higher returns (Rodrigo-Alarcón et al., 2014).

On the other hand, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is comprised of those actions that include a company's efforts, investments, and activities aimed at improving its relations with customers, investors, and the community at large (Zahra & Wright, 2016). In addition, when CSR and EO are linked, they can enhance business innovation effects through the establishment of new or existing businesses and generate greater profits through innovation, risk-taking or a proactive attitude in the implementation of their programs, thereby gaining a competitive advantage by addressing social needs (Zahra & Wright, 2016).

The above studies are not consistent in their treatment of the dimensions of EO. Many of them treat some dimensions of EO as being identical: for example, competitive aggressiveness and proactiveness are treated as being equivalent, as it is suggested that proactive firms compete aggressively (Covin & Slevin, 1989).

Adopting practices aimed at environmental sustainability implies an innovative attitude on the part of the manager and is subject to the approval of the organization's internal and external stakeholders (Chou et al., 2012). On the other hand, to protect the environment it is necessary to innovate in environmental technologies that seek to minimize harmful impacts on the environment, as suggested by the United Nations (Krozer, 2008). In a study of 84 articles published on the subject, Klewitz and Hansen (2014) identified that proactive behaviors in environmental practices generate more radical innovations. Previous studies have mainly dealt with the topic of eco-innovation without considering other types of innovative practices (Klewitz & Hansen, 2014). In MSMEs, eco-innovations refer to a variety of applications such as cleaner production (Soundararajan et al., 2018), eco-design (Besser, 2012), and eco-efficiency (Soundararajan et al., 2018). These innovations contribute to improved production, the implementation of continuous improvement processes, and improved stakeholder satisfaction (Klewitz & Hansen, 2014), and drive the application of organizational learning models (Jenkins, 2009). Along the same lines, Chao and Pu (2017) argue that technological innovation is necessary to achieve company growth through socially responsible practices. Based on this, we propose the following hypothesis:

H1a: Innovative attitude significantly influences the increase in environmental practices of MSMEs.

Although the list of dimensions of EO in the literature is not definitive, it is important to conceive of it as being a psychological construct, since it includes values and convictions deeply rooted in the culture of the individual which allows an understanding of individual behaviors and choices in the workplace (Bolton & Lane, 2012; Karpacz, 2016). While the attitude of autonomy at the individual level seems to be useful both in time and in practice, it is worth mentioning that there are practically no studies that incorporate it as one of the dimensions of EO, or that relate it to its effects on innovation, outcomes, and other managerial practices (Covin & Lumpkin, 2011; Karpacz, 2016). It is on this basis that our paper posits the following hypothesis:

H1b: Attitude autonomy significantly influences the increase of environmental practices of MSMEs.

A proactive attitude is understood as being one that anticipates demands, and shapes the environment (Lumpkin & Dess, 2001). There exist empirical studies that have tried to relate sustainable practices to a proactive attitude. For example, Covin and Lumpkin (2011) point out that when company managers are able to receive changes in the environment, they may then become more proactive and innovative, adopting riskier business models. In a recent study on a sample of 450 Swedish MSMEs, Jansson et al. (2017) showed that a proactive attitude is a necessary condition for the sustainability of MSMEs. Therefore, in our study, we posed the following hypothesis:

H1c: A Proactive Attitude significantly influences the increase of environmental practices in MSMEs.

Risk-taking is a key strategy for increasing firm value and achieving expansion and growth (Banerjee & Gupta, 2017). Meanwhile, Stulz (2022) argues that if companies are not able to take a certain level of risk, they will not reap sufficient rewards to be profitable. At the same time, they state that not all risks are bad, but that they can help to reduce uncertainty and improve returns. According to the author, making decisions on environmental sustainability involves some risk and can improve the performance of MSMEs. There are empirical studies that verify the existence of a direct relationship between environmental risk-taking and firm performance (Derwall et al., 2005; Dowell et al., 2000; Ziegler et al., 2011).

On the other hand, in a theoretical review of articles on EO, Covin and Miller (2014), using the resource base view (RBV) theory, explained that the ability to make decisions on the implementation of environmental practices by entrepreneurs can contribute to improving the performance of MSMEs, as they may increase the firm's resources and capabilities. However, Jansson et al. (2017), in an empirical study on Swedish MSMEs, failed to demonstrate that a risk-taking attitude is directly related to sustainability practices. Due to the scarce arguments demonstrating a direct link between environmental practices and risk-taking, we put forward the following hypothesis:

H1d: Risk-taking has a significant influence on the increase of environmental practices of MSMEs.

Another dimension of EO is competitive aggressiveness, which refers to the intensity, duration, complexity, and unpredictability of a firm's efforts to outperform industry rivals (Ajamieh et al., 2016). Good practice in this regard involves not only reducing costs, expanding into new markets, and upgrading products with new functionalities, but also establishing both product and process solutions that include green issues (Bose & Pal, 2012; Zhu & Sarkis, 2004). Benitez-Amado et al. (2015) and Green et al. (2012) suggest that when differentiation is based on a contribution to a sustainable environment it becomes a source of competitive advantage. To do so, they must adapt their supply chain practices and adopt environmentally friendly activities in their internal and external supply chain (Zhu & Sarkis, 2004). Hofer et al. (2012) argue that a good response to competitive pressure can be to exploit business opportunities linked to supply chain sustainability. Based on this approach, our study proposes as a hypothesis that:

H1e: Aggressive Competitiveness significantly influences the increase in environmental practices of MSMEs.

In the new digital era, knowledge and learning skills are required to become key assets for innovation and competitiveness (Valdez-Juárez, Gallado-Vázquez, et al., 2019). Organizational learning is conceptualized as the ability to create, generate, manage, and convert individual information and knowledge into collective knowledge (March, 1991; Spender, 1996). This requires adopting a cultural strategy of continuous learning and fostering innovative creativity among employees (Cameron & Quinn, 2001). Other authors, such as Argote and Miron-Spektor (2011) and Nonaka and von Krogh (2009) argue that when organizations focus on organizational learning and increasing the knowledge of their human capital, they increase both market opportunities and innovation, and may therefore achieve better results. To achieve this, the challenge for business leaders is to transform individual knowledge into collective learning. There are a large number of CSR models in the literature that focus on organizational learning. However, the one that has had the greatest impact on management is that proposed by Wood (1991) and revised in Wood (2010), which proposes a single-loop learning model based on institutional strategies, organizational processes, and the level of impact on stakeholders. In recent years, organizations have managed to implement CSR strategies through organizational learning, which has allowed them to become more dynamic and innovative organizations (Valdez-Juárez, Borboa-Álvarez, et al., 2019).

There exist empirical studies that relate organizational learning with CSR practices and the performance of MSMEs, and which show that these companies seek to improve their internal CSR processes focused on improving the quality of life of their employees, caring for the environment, achieving greater employee satisfaction, and improving results (S. Cohen & Kaimenakis, 2007; Gomes & Wojahn, 2017; Kilpi et al., 2018). Since higher levels of learning not only help to adapt strategies to become more sustainable, but also improve employee satisfaction (Fallon & Brinkerhoff, 1996). Furthermore, organizational learning generates greater flexibility and openness towards new environmental demands from stakeholders and allows for greater anticipation of market trends (Santos-Vijande et al., 2012). Based on the theoretical and empirical context, we pose the following hypothesis:

H2: Increased organizational learning raises the environmental practices of MSMEs.

From the literature review we were able to identify studies that relate organizational learning to corporate social responsibility, but these mostly refer to large companies. From the studies found in the field of MSMEs, they reveal that organizational learning has an indirect influence on financial performance, because other resources and capabilities are needed to improve financial performance (Gomes & Wojahn, 2017; Mishra, 2017). Furthermore, there is agreement among scholars that if MSMEs apply a learning model that develops dynamic capabilities and produces a smooth knowledge management process, they can grow their financial performance exponentially and sustainably (Eikelenboom & de Jong, 2019; Lichtenthaler, 2009). Therefore, if MSMEs are committed to improving their learning systems aimed at facilitating and improving the capture, transfer, and application of learned knowledge, making it more readily available to employees, then they may improve their financial performance (S. Cohen & Kaimenakis, 2007; Swee Lin Tan et al., 2014). Thus, we may conclude that organizational learning is a capability that helps to achieve improvements in organizational practices, including the adoption of CSR, and which increases the company's financial performance. Based on the above, we hypothesize the following:

H3: Increased organizational learning improves the corporate performance of MSMEs.

The impact of CSR on corporate performance has generated great interest in the literature in recent decades. Existing theories assume that there is a positive relationship between CSR and corporate performance. Stakeholder theory argues that the success of an organization depends on its ability to manage relationships with its strategic partners, as the management of these relationships has become essential for value generation (Hamman et al., 2010). However, most studies have argued that there is a positive relationship between CSR practices and corporate performance (Gallardo-Vázquez & Sanchez-Hernandez, 2014; Martinez-Conesa et al., 2017; Orlitzky et al., 2003; Rodgers et al., 2013). However, this positive relationship was not clearly established by other studies (Barnett & Salomon, 2006; Neville et al., 2005; Prado‐Lorenzo et al., 2008). The difficulty in investigating the effects of CSR actions on the performance of MSMEs may be due to the nature of CSR strategies that lack little codification and the existence of a large number of informal relationships between MSMEs and their stakeholders (Battaglia et al., 2014). On the other hand, sustainable development-oriented strategies tend to improve performance from two perspectives, one internal and one external. From the external perspective, they better satisfy their stakeholders (customers, suppliers, owners, and employees) and develop customer loyalty. From the internal perspective, by improving processes, costs are reduced due to a more efficient use of time and less waste, which positively affects the company's profitability (Santos-Vijande et al., 2012). Based on this, the following hypothesis is proposed:

H4: A greater practice of environmental actions increases the corporate performance of MSMEs.

As theoretical models with formative constructs do not need to be correlated and are assumed to be error-free, then traditional reliability and validity are considered not applicable (Bagozzi & Heatherton, 1994; Hair et al., 2017; Yáñez-Araque et al., 2021). Therefore, this analysis is conducted through theoretical reasoning and is based on previous studies (Diamantopoulos & Winklhofer, 2001). In this way, the Variance Inflation Factor (VIF) is analyzed, as well as the significance level of the weights of each item (see Table 4). In order to rule out possible multicollinearity problems, VIF values below 3.3 are required (Diamantopoulos & Siguaw, 2006). The results obtained confirm the absence of multicollinearity, and also verify that the weights of each of the items of the theoretical model are statistically significant (see Table 4).

The structural equation modelling (SEM) statistical technique was used to test the hypotheses generated in this research, employing the partial least squares (PLS) technique with the Smart PLS software, version 3. The use of this second-generation technique is appropriate in predictive, exploratory, and confirmatory research. Table 5 shows the results of the β coefficient, the degree of significance p-value, the significance of the distribution of values using the t-value, and the value of the confidence intervals of the percentiles and bias corrected at 5% and 95%. To test the hypotheses, a bootstrapping procedure was used with 5,000 subsamples (Chin, 1998b).

The study has several important theoretical implications: 1) it contributes to the development of the theory of the regulatory approach in the field of MSMEs by finding that socially responsible environmental actions contribute to improvements in corporate performance; 2) furthermore, these results reinforce the postulates of organizational learning theory, confirming that learning is an important perspective that contributes to dynamically improving the competitiveness and corporate performance of MSMEs. Although entrepreneurial orientation and corporate performance in MSMEs has been studied in the current literature, it is important to highlight that our study is of considerable relevance as it contemplates individual and collective organizational learning in order to channel it towards current and future actions related to commitment and ethical CSR behavior. Our main contribution is the multifactorial analysis of the EO components, which includes proactive attitude, aggressive competitiveness, risk-taking, innovative attitude, and autonomous attitude. In addition, the study was carried out in the context of emerging countries such as Argentina, Mexico, and Ecuador, where the level of research on this subject is very low.

Nowadays, society and different interest groups, including suppliers and clients, have a high level of demand. Therefore, more and more MSMEs are including investment in human capital training and in sustainable processes in their strategic plans to offer more environmentally-friendly products. At a global level, MSMEs represent the backbone of most of the world's regions, which is why they are so important and a priority for countries with emerging or developing economies. According to the OECD (2019), business strategies are driven by principles related to transitions and resilience, reflecting ongoing trends and changes in the field of MSMEs and entrepreneurship policies, as well as in the broader economic environment that MSMEs and entrepreneurship policies increasingly need to address, such as digitization and climate change. Governments are therefore encouraging MSME managers to transition to sustainable business models, practices, and technologies, and to drive eco-innovations, considering their specifications and needs in environmental policies, promoting access to resources, including sustainable finance, and supporting the adoption of circular economy strategies.

From a practical point of view, our study raises the following implications in the context of MSMEs with learning models based on environmental CSR practices: 1) it is important that investors and managers continue to implement learning models oriented towards sustainable models, which will contribute to improving the valuation of the company by its customers and the community, as well as to decreasing the negative impacts of its activity on the environment; and 2) owners and managers should orient their organizational learning towards improving the penetration of new and existing markets, thereby achieving increased corporate performance.

In addition, it is important for MSME owners and managers to strengthen environmental CSR actions that focus on sustainable models that are more environmentally friendly, which will improve corporate performance on the one hand and the company's image on the other. However, they should concentrate more on providing formal training to increase the knowledge level of their employees, which can be done through an annual specialized training program.

This research has some limitations which, however, open an important door for the development of future lines of research. The first is the use of a single source of information. This is because the data was collected from subjective perceptions expressed by MSME owners in different productive sectors, which could bias the results. The second limitation concerns the measurement scales used, as only reflexive variables with adaptations of other study scales were considered, so it would be acceptable to use other types of variables with mixed models (reflexive-formative), and to include analysis of variables with statistical techniques based on variance. It would also be appropriate to carry out a longitudinal study in future periods in order to analyze the evolution of the variables observed.

Finally, given the importance of organizational learning and environmental CSR actions in MSMEs for generating organizational sustainability and corporate performance, it is advisable to continue developing this type of research by including variables such as eco-innovation, circular economy, creativity, and technological knowledge in order to continue strengthening the development and sustained growth of MSMEs in global and highly competitive environments.