Table 1 Variables and its measurement employed in the model

LOS1

Length of stay ≤ 5 years

1 = yes and 0 = no

Binh and Tien (2019), Liao (2018), Wang (2020)

LOS2

Length of stay > 5–10 years

1 = yes and 0 = no

LOS3

Length of stay > 10–20 years

1 = yes and 0 = no

LOS4

Length of stay > 20–60 years old

1 = yes and 0 = no

Adams et al.  (2019), Binh and Tien (2019)

EMP1

Employee number ≤ 5 employees

1 = yes and 0 = no

EMP2

Employee number > 5–10 employees

1 = yes and 0 = no

EMP3

Employee number > 10–50 employees

1 = yes and 0 = no

EMP4

Employee number > 50–200 employees

1 = yes and 0 = no

EMP5

Employee number > 200 employees

1 = yes and 0 = no

Personal network

The contact with family members, friends, and relatives per year

1 = yes and 0 = no

Stam et al. (2014)

Business network

Business network = percentage of customers known as close communication of the total transaction per year

Percent (%)

Tóth et al.  (2020)

Network range

The frequency of advice and support per year that the owners/director of SMEs received from their network

Unit

Dong et al., (2020), Watson (2007)

Network intensity

Network intensity = (total advice and supports)/total transactions

Unit

Dong et al. (2020), Watson  (2007)

Innovation

Radical changes in technology and new product development (R&D)

1 = Radical innovation and 0 = Otherwise

Hizarci-Payne et al.  (2021)

Marketing expenditure

Marketing communication expenditure

1 = Done marketing communication expenditure and 0 = Otherwise

Falahat et al.  (2020)

Entrepreneurial orientation

SMEs’ production oriented to customers’ order

1 = Based on customers’ order, 0 = Otherwise

Binh et al.. (2021), Rezaei and Ortt (2018)