Influence of entrepreneurial orientation on organisational performance: evidence from Congolese Higher Education Institutions

Background Much research on Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) has focused on firms or non-profit organisations in the developed world or in other African countries; little research has been conducted on Congolese Higher Education institutions (HEIs).Purpose of study The present study investigates a p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Contemporary Management 2021-01, Vol.18 (1), p.243-269
Main Authors: Ruba, Remo M, van der Westhuizen, Thea, Chiloane-Tsoka, Germinah E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
autonomy
competitive aggressiveness
Entrepreneurial orientation
Innovativeness
Organisational performance
Pro-activeness
Risk-taking
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Summary:Background Much research on Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) has focused on firms or non-profit organisations in the developed world or in other African countries; little research has been conducted on Congolese Higher Education institutions (HEIs).Purpose of study The present study investigates a previously unexplored research area. The overall objective of this study was, therefore, to analyse the relationships between EO and organisations’ performance of the Congolese HEIs.Design/Methodology/Approach The study used a quantitative survey method that was conducted among 219 lecturers and administrative agents randomly drawn from twelve HEIs in the East of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Ordinary Least Square (OLS) method was used to investigate the EO effect on the performance of HEIs.Results/Findings The study found that each dimension of EO contributes independently to explaining the organisation’s performance. Innovativeness, competitive aggressiveness and pro-active behaviour were found to be the best predictors of performance in Congolese HEIs because they were positively and significantly related to organisational overall performance. However, the effect of risk-taking and autonomy on organisational performance was not significant.Recommendations The Congolese HEIs need to adopt strategic procedures that will minimise their bureaucracy by allowing risk-taking and giving autonomy to their staff, in order to improve their overall performance.Managerial implication The adoption of EO by HEIs implies high organisational performance. The adoption of EO also enables HEIs to survive and maintain a competitive advantage. Moreover, if senior managers unleash the creativity of employees, they will give them greater autonomy to think and act, thus allowing them to initiate things by themselves.
ISSN:1815-7440
DOI:10.35683/jcm1914E.104