Original scientific paper
HOW CAN ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION BE PROMOTED IN SERVICE FIRMS AND WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS? —AN EMPIRICAL STUDY OF FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES
Elise Johansen Make
orcid.org/0000-0002-2217-6133
; Inland School of Business and Social Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
Terje Slåtten
; Inland School of Business and Social Sciences, Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to explore how entrepreneurial orientation can be promoted in service firms. Previous research seems to have, to a certain extent, taken a broad approach when studying entrepreneurial orientation in service firms. In contrast, this study includes different levels of promoting factors and links these to service firms’ entrepreneurial orientation. It also explores how service firms’ entrepreneurial orientation is linked to both internal and external effects. A conceptual framework is developed and tested in an empirical study, where a total of 299 frontline service employees participated. The findings reveal that open communication, job autonomy and working as a team are the most influential factors in promoting service firms’ entrepreneurial orientation. Furthermore, the findings support that service firms’ entrepreneurial orientation is closely related to employee commitment as well as driving its competitive power when compared with relevant competitors. The paper discusses contributions and implications of these findings both theoretically and practically.
Keywords
entrepreneurial orientation; organizational climate; leadership; competitive power; teamwork; communication
Hrčak ID:
238558
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2020.
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