Abstract: This paper aims to offer a different approach to entrepreneurial orientation (EO) by examining how firms might practically consider EO. The intention is to shed new light on the dimensions of proactiveness and competitive aggressiveness by explicating the concrete micro-level behaviors that firms engage in as part of their EO. The empirical research material is analyzed according to the qualitative attitude approach. The material consists of interviews with salespeople in the business services sales department of a large Finnish enterprise. The analysis highlights four practical applications of the two dimensions in the selling context. These applications target behavior with either the case firm’s client organizations or its competitors. The findings suggest that the ability to construct practical applications of EO and to adjust these applications according to each target group and context is an essential characteristic of firms interested in benefiting from EO.

• Publication Date: 26-Oct-2014
• DOI: 10.15224/978-1-63248-032-3-126
• Views: 0
• Downloads: 0

Abstract: Successful firms determine vertical boundaries of their organizations by ensuring alignment among their firm structure, competitive strategies and external environment. How to configure vertical boundaries of an organization is a very complex problem and deciding the best approach to configuring the vertical boundaries of an organization is a central concern of strategic management theory. Current literature is mainly leaded by Transaction Costs Economics and focus primarily on advantages of internalizing an activity within firm boundaries. No single theory can explain stand-alone how to structure vertical boundaries of a firm although many researches have been conducted. More effort should be devoted to integrate theories to achieve a more complete and useful theoretical foundation for managerial decision making. An integrated model including leading perspectives and contextual attributes of firms should be developed to better understand how the vertical boundaries of a firm are confi

• Publication Date: 26-Oct-2014
• DOI: 10.15224/978-1-63248-032-3-125
• Views: 0
• Downloads: 0