The importance of opportunity recognition behaviour and motivators of employees when engaged in corporate entrepreneurship

Abstract

Organisational innovation depends on individuals and managers fostering and maintaining the innovative capacities of the firm, where opportunity recognition is important for promoting corporate entrepreneurship. The study is unique in its focus on understanding opportunity recognition behaviours and motivators of employees and how these perceptions may influence corporate entrepreneurial activity. The study is conducted in an under-researched emerging market context, where 187 respondents were surveyed in the financial sector industry. The empirical findings indicate that employees perceive themselves as having high levels of opportunity recognition behaviours and motivators which are positively associated with willingness to engage in corporate entrepreneurial initiatives. The results further show that there is a significant positive relationship between opportunity recognition behaviours and the frequency of opportunities recognised. Implications highlight the importance of fostering opportunity recognition behaviours within an organisation and motivating employees to act innovatively.

Keywords:

• firm innovation
• opportunity recognition
• corporate entrepreneurship
• motivations
• willingness
• financial sector
• South Africa

JEL Classification:

• L26
• M19

Additional information

Boris URBAN (PhD) is a Professor and Chair at the University of Witwatersrand and has more than 20 years academic and professional experience in business, where he has practiced, taught and researched strategy, organisational behaviour and entrepreneurship. He is a National Research Foundation rated researcher, and has many scholarly high-impact research publications and is author of the book series: Perspectives in Entrepreneurship: A research companion, published by Pearson.

Eric WOOD is the Executive Director of Regiments Capital. He is considered to be an industry expert in his field and manages an extensive blue chip customer portfolio. He completed his Masters in Management cum-laude and is currently a PhD student at the University of Witwatersrand. His research interests lie in corporate entrepreneurship and venturing.