Antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship behaviours among SMEs and competencies of the employees

Abstract

This study explored the antecedents of corporate entrepreneurship behaviors among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and employees’ competencies. The area of the study was Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana. The study was a cross-sectional survey design with a concurrent triangulation mixed methods approach. The study's sample size was 440 subjects, made up of 400 employees and 40 owners/managers of SMEs in the Metropolis. The employees and owners/managers were selected using random and purposive sampling techniques. The quantitative data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, while the qualitative data were analyzed manually using a thematic approach. The study revealed that both employees and owners/managers of SMEs in the Metropolis perceived the operational attributes, processes, or conditions within the firms and the external business environment that affects the firms and the staff in favorable terms. Also, employees of the various SMEs are given a meaningful opportunity to acquire, develop and nurture higher-level characteristics encompassing personality traits, skills, and knowledge, which can be seen as the real ability of the entrepreneur to perform a job successfully. It was recommended that owners/managers of the firms ensure an attractive and conducive climate for intrapreneurial behavior within their firms by encouraging their employees to believe in their abilities and always try something new. Employees could also be encouraged to be confident in their ability to handle and solve problems creatively. This behavior will go a long way to help the firms grow and become competitive.