Entrepreneurial Supply Chains. Evidence From Romania

In its early stage of development the entrepreneurial theory focused on start-up firms and their role in the national economic development and growth process. In the past decades its focus has shifted towards the entrepreneurship within corporations or corporate entrepreneurship. Today CE is focusing not just on the economic value addition, but also on the environmental and social value an organization creates. Moreover, the social network approach to entrepreneurship resulted in the emergence of the concept of entrepreneurial supply chain, which extends the entrepreneurship from the organizational level to the level of supply chain. Following the review of existing literature on entrepreneurial supply chains we employ an empirical research based on a national sample of 64 Romanian companies from various industries to analyse the characteristics of entrepreneurial supply chains in Romania. Research methodology employs structural equations modelling. Structural analysis is used to estimate the relationship between entrepreneurial competences in the context of supply chains and organizational performances. We argue that developing competences that are specific to supply chains is paramount to organizational success in an environment characterized by increased uncertainty and propose a scale for measuring these competences. Subsequent structural equations analyzes refines it, allowing management a better understanding of the specificity of entrepreneurial competences in Romanian supply chains. Empirical findings show that entrepreneurial competences are positively impacting the performances in national supply chains. According to analysis of the measurement scale of the relational capital, the management of Romanian ESC fails to ensure the customers integration necessary to maximize performances in supply chains. We consider that building effective ESC requires: (a) seeking customers’ inputs to identify their needs and expectations, (b) disseminating customers’ needs throughout the workforce and (c) implementing effective mechanism for resolving customers’ complaints. Moreover, analysis of the measurement scale corresponding to organizational performances reveals that management fails to account for shareholders’ interest, focusing its performance endeavors on profits, costs and sales. We consider that achieving the full benefits of ESC requires management to reach a balance between the interests of different categories of stakeholders. A successful transformation of Romanian supply chains in entrepreneurial one necessitate value added to all stakeholders, including customers and shareholders. Not ultimately, we underline that understanding the importance of ESC for organizational performance provides the management an impetus towards fostering the changes necessary to advance from a traditional supply chain to an entrepreneurial one. Our research provides management with insights into the measures and steps necessary to achieve the full potential of entrepreneurial supply chains. Besides policy implications for management, we