Promoting employee entrepreneurial attitudes: an investigation of Chinese state-owned enterprises

Abstract

Drawing from social information processing theory, we explain the relationship among perceived investment in employee development (PIED), psychological climate, and employee entrepreneurial attitudes (EEA). We test our hypotheses by conducting two survey studies of two different Chinese state-owned enterprises (N = 157; N = 112). The results indicate that climates for autonomy and innovation mediate the relationship between PIED and EEA. Furthermore, we differentiate between two types of supervisor behaviour for encouraging creativity in the workplace: promoting collaboration and intellectual stimulation. We find that promoting collaboration enhances the effects of PIED on the climate for autonomy, while intellectual stimulation amplifies the effects of PIED on the climate for innovation. Our research not only extends the current academic literature by investigating the processes (how) and contingencies (when) whereby PIED affects EEA, but also reveals factors for promoting corporate entrepreneurship in the context of Chinese SOEs. Our findings also offer critical insights for managers by suggesting that they can use human resource management practices and supervision tactics to create a working environment that allows corporate entrepreneurship to flourish.