When Entrepreneurial and Customer Orientation Meet Meaningful Work: A Moderated Mediation Approach

Abstract

This study suggests that a cross-level moderated mediation approach attempts to specify both how and when the effects of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) (and customer orientation (CO)) occur when acquiring new customers (and retaining existing customers). Drawing on a data set of 336 bank branches (808 managers/7,230 competitors), the perception of meaningful work mediates the positive linkage of EO and CO to each customer-oriented outcome. This indirect positive effect of EO (CO) with new customer creation (and existing customer retention) through the relationship is stronger when job autonomy is higher than when is low. Our findings provide supports to a nuanced understanding EO/CO within different work characteristics so that our study highlights how organizational strategic postures are relevant for individual perceptions of meaningful work by addressing explanatory primitives where a multilevel model makes sense.