Title: Managerial characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation: the moderating influence of environmental dynamism

Authors: Montserrat Entrialgo, Esteban Fernandez, Camilo J. Vazquez

Addresses: Departamento de Administracion de Empresas y Contabilidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Facultad de CC. Economicas y Empresariales, Avda. del Cristo, s/n, 33006 Oviedo (Asturias), Spain. Departamento de Administracion de Empresas y Contabilidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Facultad de CC. Economicas y Empresariales, Avda. del Cristo, s/n, 33006 Oviedo (Asturias), Spain. Departamento de Administracion de Empresas y Contabilidad, Universidad de Oviedo, Facultad de CC. Economicas y Empresariales, Avda. del Cristo, s/n, 33006 Oviedo (Asturias), Spain

Abstract: This work analyses, on a sample of 233 firms, the relation between managerial characteristics and entrepreneurial orientation as well as the moderating influence of environmental dynamism in this relation. The results obtained enable us to affirm that the managerial characteristics have a significant influence on the entrepreneurial orientation, the firms headed by teams which are larger, with greater joint experience and with lower heterogeneity regarding tenure and age being the most entrepreneurial. Similarly, the moderating influence of environmental dynamism was tested. The tenure heterogeneity of the managers in the firm has a significant negative influence on entrepreneurial orientation in firms operating in highly dynamic environments, whereas the team size has a significant positive influence on entrepreneurial orientation in this kind of environment.

Keywords: entrepreneurial orientation; managerial characteristics; environments; dynamism; team size; age; tenure; formal education; functional experience; joint experience.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2001.001003

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2001 Vol.1 No.2/3/4, pp.171-182

Published online: 18 Aug 2003 *

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