The entrepreneurial perceptions of strategy makers: Constructing an exploratory path in the pursuit of radical growth

Abstract

a b s t r a c tFor established firms, radical growth requires experimenting with new alternatives, which can test the boundaries of management's thinking. This study proposes that entrepreneurial perceptions of the strategic situation and market environment have a direct influence on corporate entrepreneurship (CE) strategy, which is strategy that supports new business development and renewal. The results indicate that strategy makers will pursue a more explorative CE strategy in situations framed as positive, less controllable and yet knowable, and in environments perceived as munificent and dynamic. Additionally, with explorative CE strategy comes a greater investment in radical growth (i.e., new lines of business). The paper concludes with a discussion of the study's implications in regards to the relationship between interpretation and strategy and the management of attention and meaning.

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