A comparative analysis of the entrepreneurial orientation/growth relationship in service firms and manufacturing firms
This article builds on the recently increasingly mentioned notion that entrepreneurship in the service sector is a worthwhile, but clearly underresearched topic. Using a sample of 1,612 small- and medium-size enterprises from the four German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liec...
Saved in:
Published in | The Service industries journal Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 275 - 294 |
---|---|
Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
London
Routledge
12.03.2014
Taylor & Francis Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
Cover
Loading…
Summary: | This article builds on the recently increasingly mentioned notion that entrepreneurship in the service sector is a worthwhile, but clearly underresearched topic. Using a sample of 1,612 small- and medium-size enterprises from the four German-speaking countries Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein, and using structural equation modeling, this article finds that service firms have a significantly higher entrepreneurial orientation (EO) than manufacturing firms - both on the overall level as well as for each of the three sub-categories proactiveness, innovativeness, and risk-taking. With regards to the positive relationship between a firm's EO and its growth aspirations, nevertheless, no significant differences could be identified. Accordingly, this study shows that EO is a strategic orientation of highest value for service firms as well, under the premise of growth-orientation. |
---|---|
ISSN: | 0264-2069 1743-9507 |
DOI: | 10.1080/02642069.2013.778978 |