The study examines the impact of marketing exploitation and exploration on the pioneering orientation of business-to-business (B2B) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors challenge the prevailing view that firms should simultaneously pursue both processes or focus on just one, arguing that B2B SMEs should generally prioritize one process over the other to effectively shape their pioneering orientation. However, certain circumstances, such as upstream supply chain (SC) integration and strong information technology (IT) competence, enable firms to optimize benefits by alternating between processes. The longitudinal analysis of 213 Chinese B2B SMEs supports this argument, revealing that marketing exploration has a stronger positive influence on pioneering orientation than exploitation. Additionally, upstream SC integration alone does not moderate the relationship, but combined with robust IT competence, it increases the advantages of marketing exploitation over exploration in fostering pioneering orientation in B2B SMEs. The study contributes to the literature by providing novel insights into the effects of adaptive processes on B2B SMEs and advancing the applicability of organizational learning theory.The study examines the impact of marketing exploitation and exploration on the pioneering orientation of business-to-business (B2B) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors challenge the prevailing view that firms should simultaneously pursue both processes or focus on just one, arguing that B2B SMEs should generally prioritize one process over the other to effectively shape their pioneering orientation. However, certain circumstances, such as upstream supply chain (SC) integration and strong information technology (IT) competence, enable firms to optimize benefits by alternating between processes. The longitudinal analysis of 213 Chinese B2B SMEs supports this argument, revealing that marketing exploration has a stronger positive influence on pioneering orientation than exploitation. Additionally, upstream SC integration alone does not moderate the relationship, but combined with robust IT competence, it increases the advantages of marketing exploitation over exploration in fostering pioneering orientation in B2B SMEs. The study contributes to the literature by providing novel insights into the effects of adaptive processes on B2B SMEs and advancing the applicability of organizational learning theory.