The role of management support in promoting corporate entrepreneurship within SME's in the seafreight transport industry

Abstract

Management support is widely reported to be a contributor to influencing corporate entrepreneurship within organisations. Managerial support and attitude are described as having a direct positive link on the levels of corporate entrepreneurial activity exhibited in organisations. This paper provides an overview of the role of managerial support within Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the seafreight transport industry. A questionnaire, adapted from the Corporate Entrepreneurial Climate Instrument (CECI), developed by Morris, Kuratko & Covin (2008), was distributed to organisations of differing sizes in the seafreight transport sector. The questionnaire measured key antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship. Data was analysed by means of a one-way between-groups ANOVA. Results indicate that managerial support for corporate entrepreneurship in the sampled SMEs is relatively low. Results further indicate that as an SME increases in size, its level of management support for corporate entrepreneurship improves. Respondents under the age of 30 perceived a higher level of support than their older counterparts. This paper provides recommendations regarding initiatives SMEs can undertake to improve managerial support levels. The findings and recommendations of the paper are of particular interest to middle-level and senior managers within SME?s in the seafreight industry who have a direct influence over managerial support levels in their respective organisations.