Organizational culture, generational involvement and entrepreneurial orientation components: a replication study

Purpose

This study aims to adopt a replication strategy based on Cherchem (2017), and hence this study investigates how generational involvement moderates the relationship between organizational culture and entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in Brazilian family businesses, disentangling each of the EO dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study developed a survey with 107 Brazilian family businesses operating in the textile and clothing industries. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SmartPLS-SEM).

Findings

The results for the direct paths indicate that clan and hierarchical cultures are positively related to EO. As for the moderating effect, only one generation of the family involved in management tends to stimulate a stronger relationship between the clan culture and the EO. In contrast, when multiple generations exist, the positive relationship between the EO hierarchical culture becomes stronger. Furthermore, this study found different relationships between organizational culture and each of the EO dimensions (proactiveness, innovativeness, risk-taking, competitive aggressiveness and autonomy) and differences in the moderating effect of generational involvement.

Originality/value

Unlike the findings of Cherchem (2017), the authors observed that, in addition to clan culture, hierarchical culture can also act as an enhancer of entrepreneurial strategies. On the other hand, generational involvement influences the relationship between organizational culture and the level of EO (and its dimensions), reinforcing those internal family characteristics that can foster entrepreneurial strategies in family businesses, whose findings align with Cherchem (2017). Moreover, it contributes to the investigation of each of the dimensions of EO separately.