Strategic entrepreneurial orientation: Configurations, performance, and the effects of industry and time

Abstract

Research Summary: Strategic entrepreneurship research has sought to understand how firms' entrepreneurial behaviors and decision making influence firm performance. Generally this research has treated entrepreneurial orientation (EO) as consisting of dimensions that independently influence firm performance. This approach conflicts with conceptual and empirical work suggesting that managers embrace complex knowledge structures. Taking a configurational perspective that accounts for relations among the EO dimensions, we analyze a longitudinal sample of 399 firms in four technology industries to reveal how different EO patterns—identified using fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis—lead to higher or lower firm performance based on industrial‐, temporal‐, and measurement‐related factors. Managerial Summary: A firm's entrepreneurial orientation consists of its relative emphasis on autonomy, competitive aggressiveness, innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk taking. Do companies intentionally emphasize different aspects of entrepreneurship? Our analysis suggests that they do and that different patterns developed by companies have implications for their performance. Our work suggests managers should develop a profile of entrepreneurial dimensions that fit well in their industry. For instance, firms in growing yet stable industries tend to perform well when they emphasize autonomy and competitive aggressiveness and focus less on innovativeness, proactiveness, and risk taking. In contrast, this approach would not lead to high performance in more hostile industries where innovativeness is essential.

Entrepreneurial orientation: The necessity of a multilevel conceptualization

“…Questions in this vein identified by LD are particularly relevant to studies exploring international EO, which considers what organizational configurations drive international new market entry (Covin & Miller, 2014). Similarly, influence of LD can be seen within research exploring EO within top managerial rhetoric and organizational communication (McKenny, Short, et al, 2018).…”

“…Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) emerged from the recognition that organizations can be conceived as entrepreneurial actors (Covin, 1991; Covin & Slevin, 1989; Miller, 1983; Mintzberg, 1973). Building on this insight, EO has become one of the most established and researched topics in the management literature (Anderson et al, 2015; Chirico, Sirmon, Sciascia, & Mazzola, 2011; Eshima & Anderson, 2017; Lumpkin & Dess, 1996; McKenny, Short, et al, 2018; Palmié, Huerzeler, Grichnik, Keupp, & Gassmann, 2019; Rank & Strenge, 2018; Rauch et al, 2009; Rosenbusch, Rauch, & Bausch, 2013; Simsek, Heavey, & Veiga, 2010; Stam & Elfring, 2008; Wales, 2016; Wang, Thornhill, & De Castro, 2017). Nonetheless, scholars still express uneasiness over EO (Covin & Lumpkin, 2011).…”

Does university entrepreneurial orientation matter? Evidence from university performance

“…By viewing the entrepreneurial intent and actions of universities through the well‐accepted 30‐year‐old lens of EO, we have been able to successfully raise the conversation to a comparable model that has been used in firm‐based studies. Recent findings by McKenny, Short, Ketchen Jr, Payne, and Moss (2018)) suggest that managers should work on developing a profile of entrepreneurial dimensions that fit well with their industry. Future studies on entrepreneurial universities should explore the different patterns and configurations of EO dimensions that will maximize performance.…”

Orientação empreendedora como antecedente do desempenho de MPEs

“…Ela representa um meio importante através do qual as MPEs identificam novas oportunidades e assumem riscos calculados para inovar para o crescimento e a renovação (IRELAND; HITT; SIRMON, 2003; JABEEN; MAHMOOD, 2014; WALES, PARIDA; PATEL, 2013). A OE também é considerada como a postura estratégica crítica das empresas e contribui para o desempenho das mesmas (ALTINAY et al, 2016;ANDERSON et al, 2015;MASA'DEH et al, 2018;McKENNY et al, 2018).…”

“…A OE caracteriza-se por ser um fator que auxilia para que a organização em questão alcance o desempenho estipulado, mediante inovações, adequações e otimização de produtos e serviços MILLER, 2014). A intensidade e as características da OE auxiliam os gestores nos processos de tomada de decisão e escolhas estratégicas, frente ao que se almeja por desempenho (MASA'DEH et al, 2018;McKENNY et al, 2018, MILLER, 1983.…”