IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v140y2022icp155-169.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Nurture or nature? How organizational and individual factors drive corporate entrepreneurial projects

Author

Listed:
  • Niemann, Christoph Constantin
  • Mai, Robert
  • Dickel, Petra

Abstract

Corporate entrepreneurship has become a fundamental strategy for securing firms’ survival in rapidly changing environments. Despite broad theoretical consensus on the role of organizational drivers (top management support, rewards, work discretion, time availability) for employee engagement in corporate entrepreneurship, empirical studies provided ambiguous results, which might derive from not accounting for individual factors. Based on person-organization fit theory, this study analyses the interplay of organizational drivers and individual-level intrapreneurial orientation on (a) employee willingness to participate and (b) their willingness to lead corporate entrepreneurial projects. Our experimental study demonstrates that organizational drivers foster the willingness to participate in such projects, especially when individuals exhibit a strong intrapreneurial orientation. Regarding the willingness to lead corporate entrepreneurial projects, intrapreneurial orientation is the central factor, while organizational drivers are less effective. In short, our findings support that individual intrapreneurial orientation (nature), and not organizational drivers (nurture) alone, are key to fostering corporate entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • Niemann, Christoph Constantin & Mai, Robert & Dickel, Petra, 2022. "Nurture or nature? How organizational and individual factors drive corporate entrepreneurial projects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 155-169.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:140:y:2022:i:c:p:155-169
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.065
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296321008717
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.065?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matthew R. Marvel & Abbie Griffin & John Hebda & Bruce Vojak, 2007. "Examining the Technical Corporate Entrepreneurs’ Motivation: Voices from the Field," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(5), pages 753-768, September.
    2. Dabić, Marina & Stojčić, Nebojša & Simić, Marijana & Potocan, Vojko & Slavković, Marko & Nedelko, Zlatko, 2021. "Intellectual agility and innovation in micro and small businesses: The mediating role of entrepreneurial leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 683-695.
    3. Elisabeth S. C. Berger & Andreas Kuckertz, 2016. "The Challenge of Dealing with Complexity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Research: An Introduction," FGF Studies in Small Business and Entrepreneurship, in: Elisabeth S.C. Berger & Andreas Kuckertz (ed.), Complexity in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Research, edition 1, pages 1-9, Springer.
    4. Charness, Gary & Gneezy, Uri & Kuhn, Michael A., 2012. "Experimental methods: Between-subject and within-subject design," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 81(1), pages 1-8.
    5. Jessri, Mahshid & Kosmidou, Vasiliki & Ahuja, Manju K., 2020. "Employees’ decision to participate in corporate venturing: A conjoint experiment of financial and non-financial motivations," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 13(C).
    6. Allen, Mathew R. & Adomdza, Gordon K. & Meyer, Marc H., 2015. "Managing for innovation: Managerial control and employee level outcomes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 371-379.
    7. Jarna Heinonen & Jouko Toivonen, 2007. "Approaching A Deeper Understanding Of Corporate Entrepreneurship - Focusing On Co-Evolutionary Processes," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 15(02), pages 165-186.
    8. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    9. Sohrab Soleimanof & Kulraj Singh & Daniel T. Holt, 2019. "Micro-Foundations of Corporate Entrepreneurship in Family Firms: An Institution-Based Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 43(2), pages 274-281, March.
    10. Donada, Carole & Mothe, Caroline & Alegre, Joaquín, 2021. "Managing skunkworks to achieve ambidexterity: The Robinson Crusoe effect," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 214-225.
    11. Christine König & Holger Steinmetz & Michael Frese & Andreas Rauch & Zhong-Ming Wang, 2010. "Scenario-Based Scales Measuring Cultural Orientations of Business Owners," Springer Books, in: Andreas Freytag & Roy Thurik (ed.), Entrepreneurship and Culture, chapter 0, pages 171-200, Springer.
    12. Len J. Treviño & Carolyn P. Egri & David A. Ralston & Irina Naoumova & Yongjuan Li & Fidel León Darder & María Teresa Garza Carranza & Olivier Furrer, 2020. "A Cross-Cultural Examination of Person-Organization Fit: Is P-O Fit Congruent with or Contingent on Societal Values?," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(2), pages 287-314, April.
    13. Newman, Alexander & Tse, Herman H.M. & Schwarz, Gary & Nielsen, Ingrid, 2018. "The effects of employees' creative self-efficacy on innovative behavior: The role of entrepreneurial leadership," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 1-9.
    14. Hornsby, Jeffrey S. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Shepherd, Dean A. & Bott, Jennifer P., 2009. "Managers' corporate entrepreneurial actions: Examining perception and position," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 236-247, May.
    15. Ángeles Montoro‐Sánchez & Domingo Ribeiro Soriano, 2011. "Human resource management and corporate entrepreneurship," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(1), pages 6-13, March.
    16. Unger, Jens M. & Rauch, Andreas & Frese, Michael & Rosenbusch, Nina, 2011. "Human capital and entrepreneurial success: A meta-analytical review," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(3), pages 341-358, May.
    17. Gary S. Becker, 1964. "Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis with Special Reference to Education, First Edition," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number beck-5.
    18. Christoph Constantin Niemann & Petra Dickel & Gordon Eckardt, 2020. "The interplay of corporate entrepreneurship, environmental orientation, and performance in clean‐tech firms—A double‐edged sword," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 180-196, January.
    19. Erik Monsen & R. Wayne Boss, 2009. "The Impact of Strategic Entrepreneurship inside the Organization: Examining Job Stress and Employee Retention," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 33(1), pages 71-104, January.
    20. Evan Douglas & Jason Fitzsimmons, 2013. "Intrapreneurial intentions versus entrepreneurial intentions: distinct constructs with different antecedents," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(1), pages 115-132, June.
    21. Rune Bysted & Kristina Risom Jespersen, 2014. "Exploring Managerial Mechanisms that Influence Innovative Work Behaviour: Comparing private and public employees," Public Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 217-241, February.
    22. Sergio Edú Valsania & Juan A. Moriano & Fernando Molero, 2016. "Authentic leadership and intrapreneurial behavior: cross-level analysis of the mediator effect of organizational identification and empowerment," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 131-152, March.
    23. Parker, Simon C., 2011. "Intrapreneurship or entrepreneurship?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 19-34, January.
    24. Yu Zhou & Yingying Zhang & Ángeles Montoro‐Sánchez, 2011. "Utilitarianism or romanticism: the effect of rewards on employees' innovative behaviour," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 32(1), pages 81-98, March.
    25. Dirk De Clercq & Dimo Dimov & Imanol Belausteguigoitia, 2016. "Perceptions of Adverse Work Conditions and Innovative Behavior: The Buffering Roles of Relational Resources," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(3), pages 515-542, May.
    26. Deprez, Jana & Leroy, Hannes & Euwema, Martin, 2018. "Three chronological steps toward encouraging intrapreneurship: Lessons from the Wehkamp case," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 135-145.
    27. Hornsby, Jeffrey S. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Zahra, Shaker A., 2002. "Middle managers' perception of the internal environment for corporate entrepreneurship: assessing a measurement scale," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 253-273, May.
    28. Sirén, Charlotta & Parida, Vinit & Frishammar, Johan & Wincent, Joakim, 2020. "Time and time-based organizing of innovation: Influence of temporality on entrepreneurial firms’ performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 23-32.
    29. De Jong, Jeroen P. J. & Parker, Sharon K. & Wennekers, Sander & Wu, Chia-Huei, 2015. "Entrepreneurial behavior in organizations: does job design matter?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 53264, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    30. Wei, Li-Qun & Ling, Yan, 2015. "CEO characteristics and corporate entrepreneurship in transition economies: Evidence from China," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(6), pages 1157-1165.
    31. Pramodita Sharma & James J. Chrisman, 1999. "Toward a Reconciliation of the Definitional Issues in the Field of Corporate Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(3), pages 11-28, April.
    32. Gupta, Vipin & MacMillan, Ian C. & Surie, Gita, 2004. "Entrepreneurial leadership: developing and measuring a cross-cultural construct," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 241-260, March.
    33. Gawke, Jason C. & Gorgievski, Marjan J. & Bakker, Arnold B., 2019. "Measuring intrapreneurship at the individual level: Development and validation of the Employee Intrapreneurship Scale (EIS)," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 806-817.
    34. Bjørn Willy Åmo & Lars Kolvereid, 2005. "Organizational Strategy, Individual Personality And Innovation Behavior," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 13(01), pages 7-19.
    35. Dickel, Petra & Graeff, Peter, 2018. "Entrepreneurs' propensity for corruption: A vignette-based factorial survey," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 77-86.
    36. Carnevale, Joel B. & Hatak, Isabella, 2020. "Employee adjustment and well-being in the era of COVID-19: Implications for human resource management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 183-187.
    37. Erik Monsen & Holger Patzelt & Todd Saxton, 2010. "Beyond Simple Utility: Incentive Design and Trade–Offs for Corporate Employee–Entrepreneurs," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 34(1), pages 105-130, January.
    38. Stathakopoulos, Vlasis & Kottikas, Konstantinos G. & Theodorakis, Ioannis G. & Kottika, Efthymia, 2019. "Market-driving strategy and personnel attributes: Top management versus middle management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 529-540.
    39. To, Chester K.M. & Guaita Martínez, José Manuel & Orero-Blat, Maria & Chau, K.P., 2020. "Predicting motivational outcomes in social entrepreneurship: Roles of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and situational fit," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 209-222.
    40. Jochen Schmidt & Sven Heidenreich, 2019. "Empowering for effectuation: examining organisational preparedness for corporate entrepreneurship as antecedent of psychological empowerment and entrepreneurial behaviour," International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(1), pages 47-80.
    41. Jeroen P.J.de Jong & Sharon K. Parker & Sander Wennekers & Chia–Huei Wu, 2015. "Entrepreneurial Behavior in Organizations: Does Job Design Matter?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(4), pages 981-995, July.
    42. Van den Ende, Jan & Wijnberg, Nachoem & Vogels, Rianne & Kerstens, Michiel, 2003. "Organizing Innovative Projects to Interact with Market Dynamics:: A Coevolutionary Approach," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 273-284, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Rolf Wilmes & Leif Brändle & Andreas Kuckertz, 2024. "Seeds in rocky soil: the interactive role of entrepreneurial legacy and bridging in family firms’ organizational ambidexterity," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1041-1064, October.
    2. Yongchun Huang & Shangshuo Wu & Chengmeng Chen & Chen Zou & Anqi Pan, 2024. "Similar but yet different: individual cognitive traits and family contingencies as antecedents of intrapreneurship and self-employment," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-15, December.
    3. Sánchez-Vidal, F. Javier & Ramón-Llorens, M. Camino & La Rocca, Maurizio, 2024. "Corruption and intrapreneurship," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(1).
    4. Soni, Vivek & Gnekpe, Christian & Roux, Mélanie & Anand, Rashmi & Vann Yaroson, Emilia & Kumar Banwet, Devinder, 2023. "Adaptive distributed leadership and circular economy adoption by emerging SMEs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ruud Gerards & Sanne Wetten & Cecile Sambeek, 2021. "New ways of working and intrapreneurial behaviour: the mediating role of transformational leadership and social interaction," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(7), pages 2075-2110, October.
    2. Michael Mustafa & Fiona Gavin & Mathew Hughes, 2018. "Contextual Determinants of Employee Entrepreneurial Behavior in Support of Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Review and Research Agenda," Journal of Enterprising Culture (JEC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 26(03), pages 285-326, September.
    3. Gawke, Jason C. & Gorgievski, Marjan J. & Bakker, Arnold B., 2019. "Measuring intrapreneurship at the individual level: Development and validation of the Employee Intrapreneurship Scale (EIS)," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 806-817.
    4. Petra C. M. Neessen & Marjolein C. J. Caniëls & Bart Vos & Jeroen P. Jong, 2019. "The intrapreneurial employee: toward an integrated model of intrapreneurship and research agenda," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 545-571, June.
    5. Jeanette Engzell, 2023. "Beyond the stereotype of an intrapreneur: an exploratory study of different intrapreneurs and various corporate conditions," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(8), pages 1-24, August.
    6. Hernández-Perlines, Felipe & Ariza-Montes, Antonio & Blanco-González-Tejero, Cristina, 2022. "Intrapreneurship research: A comprehensive literature review," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 428-444.
    7. Dirk De Clercq & Dimo Dimov & Imanol Belausteguigoitia, 2016. "Perceptions of Adverse Work Conditions and Innovative Behavior: The Buffering Roles of Relational Resources," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 40(3), pages 515-542, May.
    8. Miguel A. Hernandez, 2019. "Unveiling International New Ventures’ Success: Employee’s Entrepreneurial Behavior," Administrative Sciences, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-32, August.
    9. Covin, Jeffrey G. & Rigtering, J.P. Coen & Hughes, Mathew & Kraus, Sascha & Cheng, Cheng-Feng & Bouncken, Ricarda B., 2020. "Individual and team entrepreneurial orientation: Scale development and configurations for success," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 1-12.
    10. Christine Blanka, 2019. "An individual-level perspective on intrapreneurship: a review and ways forward," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 919-961, November.
    11. van Wetten, Sanne J.L. & Gerards, Ruud & de Grip, Andries, 2020. "Are graduates’ intrapreneurial skills optimally used for innovation?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 96.
    12. Esthela Galván Vela & Yesenia Sánchez Tovar & Mónica Lorena Sánchez Limón & Rafael Ravina-Ripoll, 2022. "Intrapreneurship model in the software industry," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 3699-3727, October.
    13. J. P. Coen Rigtering & M. Ayelen Behrens, 2021. "The Effect of Corporate — Start-Up Collaborations on Corporate Entrepreneurship," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(8), pages 2427-2454, November.
    14. Patzelt, Holger & Gartzia, Leire & Wolfe, Marcus T. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2021. "Managing negative emotions from entrepreneurial project failure: When and how does supportive leadership help employees?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    15. Dan Wang & Zhongyuan Zhang, 2022. "Disassembling the influences of perceived family relational conflict on business family offspring’s intrapreneurial intentions," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 18(1), pages 153-189, March.
    16. Lennart Burger & Ivana Blažková, 2020. "Internal Determinants Promoting Corporate Entrepreneurship in Established Organizations: A Systematic Literature Review," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(2), pages 19-45.
    17. Manuel Castriotta & Michela Loi & Elona Marku & Ludovica Moi, 2021. "Disentangling the corporate entrepreneurship construct: conceptualizing through co-words," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 2821-2863, April.
    18. Elert, Niklas & Stam, Erik & Stenkula, Mikael, 2019. "Intrapreneurship and Trust," Working Paper Series 1280, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    19. repec:aly:journl:202205 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Mustafa Michael & Lundmark Erik & Ramos Hazel Melanie, 2016. "Untangling the Relationship between Human Resource Management and Corporate Entrepreneurship: The Mediating Effect of Middle Managers’ Knowledge Sharing," Entrepreneurship Research Journal, De Gruyter, vol. 6(3), pages 273-295, July.
    21. Mario Rosique-Blasco & Antonia Madrid-Guijarro & Domingo García-Pérez-de-Lema, 2018. "The effects of personal abilities and self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 1025-1052, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:140:y:2022:i:c:p:155-169. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.