Examining entrepreneurial orientation from the lens of CEO characteristics

Abstract

The dissertation empirically examines the effects of the characteristics of Chief Executive Officers (CEO) on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) of firms with the help of three essays. EO is the strategic posture of firms crucial for the renewal of competitive advantage and sustainable firm performance. The examination of EO from the perspective of CEO characteristics as its antecedents is still at an initial stage. Extending the growing trend in understanding how CEO characteristics may impact their firm’s EO, the dissertation contributes to the research literature on the antecedents of EO incorporating theoretical and managerial implications under various contingent effects. In the first essay, through an extensive literature review, we discuss the antecedents of EO of firms. Our findings suggest that the theoretical understanding of the development and antecedents of EO are still at an initial stage. We propose to utilize the approach of microfoundation inquiry, extend the exiting literature through sub-categorization of microfoundation factors, and understand the future research areas. We also identify two specific CEO characteristics such as CEO non-duality and CEO’s temporal orientation to examine in the subsequent essays. Extending upper echelon theory and agency theory, the second essay examines that CEO nonduality- separation of CEO and board chair positions-positively influences entrepreneurial rientation of firms under the contingent effects of CEO’s experience, frequency of board meetings, and board independence, and contributes to the existing literature at the intersection of corporate governance and entrepreneurship using a sample of Indian firms during 2007-2016. Extending upper echelon theory and temporal perspectives, the third essay examines the effects of CEO’s temporal orientation on EO of firms, and find U-shaped relationship under the contingent effects of environmental munificence, complexity, and dynamism, using a sample of Indian firms during 2007-2016. Overall, the dissertation contributes to the ongoing scholarly literature on the effects of CEO characteristics on EO of firms, and helps to understand the phenomena under various contingent factors.