What Drives Entrepreneurial Orientation in the Public Sector? Evidence from Germany's Federal Labor Agency
Journal
Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
ISSN
1053-1858
ISSN-Digital
1477-9803
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2012-10
Author(s)
Abstract (De)
Along with the introduction of private sector management tools, public servants are
expected to act more entrepreneurially-as public managers. However, research lacks quantitative evidence on what drives entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in this context. Our article examines the antecedents of department-level EO in public sector organizations. By integrating different research streams into one study, we combine partly opposing discourses. This deductive study develops and empirically tests hypotheses on antecedents identified from private sector corporate entrepreneurship literature and from the current debate on new public management and public value management. It uses data from 250 middle managers of Germany's Federal Labor Agency to do so. Contrary to expectations, the influence of management support, work discretion, and resources is only limited. Furthermore, a focus on key performance indicators and goal ambiguity does not seem to impede EO. Instead, a multitude of expectations, middle managers' localism, and position tenure have the greatest impact on department-level EO. As a result, this study provides insights into the strong role of antecedents outside of administration. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for both theory and practice.
expected to act more entrepreneurially-as public managers. However, research lacks quantitative evidence on what drives entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in this context. Our article examines the antecedents of department-level EO in public sector organizations. By integrating different research streams into one study, we combine partly opposing discourses. This deductive study develops and empirically tests hypotheses on antecedents identified from private sector corporate entrepreneurship literature and from the current debate on new public management and public value management. It uses data from 250 middle managers of Germany's Federal Labor Agency to do so. Contrary to expectations, the influence of management support, work discretion, and resources is only limited. Furthermore, a focus on key performance indicators and goal ambiguity does not seem to impede EO. Instead, a multitude of expectations, middle managers' localism, and position tenure have the greatest impact on department-level EO. As a result, this study provides insights into the strong role of antecedents outside of administration. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for both theory and practice.
Language
German
Keywords
Entrepreneurial Orientation
Public Value
New Public Management
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Publisher place
Oxford UK
Volume
22
Number
4
Start page
761
End page
792
Pages
32
Subject(s)
Eprints ID
211583
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Name
2012_What drives_JournalPAR.pdf
Size
219.69 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
78f8de332e569b7de25b64b1dfd31a99