The relationship between corporate entrepreneurship, market orientation, organisational flexibility and job satisfaction

Abstract

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is seen as an important facet of strategic renewal, profitability, innovativeness and growth of organisations. This study examined the relationship between CE, Market Orientation (MO), Organizational Flexibility (F) and Job Satisfaction (JS). The outcomes of the influence of CE, organisational flexibility and market orientation on job satisfaction were also assessed. The Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument (CEAI) developed by Hornsby, Kuratko and Zahra (2002) was used to measure CE. Market orientation was measured by the Market Orientation Scale developed by Kohli, Jaworski and Kumar (1993). The Organisational Flexibility Scale developed by Khandwalla (1977) was used to measure flexibility of organisations. Job satisfaction was measured by the means of the short form of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire developed by Weiss, Davis, England and Lofquist (1967). Data were gathered from 333 respondents representing four different sectors namely, life assurance, information technology, transport and education. Factor Analysis was employed to revalidate the structure and internal reliability of each instrument used in the study. This resulted in a five-factor solution for the CEAI, named management support, work discretion, rewards/reinforcement, time availability, support for innovation and work improvement. A three-factor solution emerged in the case of market orientation, named intelligence generation, inertia and responsiveness. A two-factor solution was identified for the organisational flexibility scale, namely formality and authoritarianism. The two components of job satisfaction were identified as extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was done, investigating the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship, market orientation and flexibility and job satisfaction sub-scales. Multiple Regression Analysis investigated the prediction of job satisfaction by means of corporate entrepreneurship, market orientation and flexibility as independent variables. Of the six Structural Equation Models built in this study, three indicated a good fit with the data. From a managerial perspective the results of two of the models indicate that the corporate entrepreneurship factors of rewards/reinforcement, formal organisational flexibility and an intelligence generative market orientation contribute statistically significantly toward higher levels of extrinsic and total job satisfaction. Additionally the corporate entrepreneurship factor of work improvement, formal organisational flexibility and an intelligence generative market orientation contribute statistically significantly toward higher levels of intrinsic job satisfaction. Though the remaining three models showed a weaker fit with the data, indications are that extrinsic and total job satisfaction could be negatively influenced by CE factors of rewards/reinforcement, inflexible authoritarianism and a market orientation of inertia. Furthermore intrinsic job satisfaction could be negatively influenced by work improvement CE, inflexible authoritarianism and an inertia market orientation.