Human capital generative potential: cultivating intrapreneurial employees in sport and recreation organizations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Rationale/purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships among recreational sport organization employees’ engagement, resilience, and the ability to design creative mechanisms to overcome work challenges. Employees in this study all faced similar challenges and uncertainty, which provided an opportunity to explore psychological well-being, innovation, and levels of engagement with intrapreneurship. Design/methodology/approach In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 campus sport and recreation center employees across 13 organizations from 10 states in the United States. Findings Findings and discussion focus on the importance of interpersonal interactions, the ways in which personal challenges enabled adaptation and intrapreneurship, and the generative potential of recreation and sport employees in relation to psychological well-being, innovation, and intrapreneurship. Practical implications In adapting to new, challenging work situations, employees can have a heightened sense of self-determination and growth. The self-renewal sub-component of intrapreneurship is closely associated with reimagined organizational strategy when facing change and organizational obstacles. Research contribution Employees serve an important role in improved internal operations in sport and recreation organizations via innovation and intrapreneurship.