Jintong Tang

Exploring an Inverted U-Shape Relationship between Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance in Chinese Ventures

The critical role of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in firm performance has been widely studied in the U.S. context. However, the examination of this key construct in emerging regions such as China has been very limited. In this article, we hypothesize that the relationship between EO and firm performance is best represented as curvilinear, as opposed to linear, in China. We use a two–study approach to test the link between EO and performance, as expressed in both perceptual and objective performance. Findings of both studies demonstrate an inverted U–shape relationship. Implications for future research on EO are discussed.

THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ORIENTATION AND OWNERSHIP TYPE ON FIRM PERFORMANCE IN THE EMERGING REGION OF CHINA

Entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has been widely studied in the US context, but its examination in emerging regions such as China has been very limited. In this study, we investigate the EO-performance relationship in China. Results based on a sample of 166 firms in Northern China confirm the positive influence of EO on performance. More importantly, the EO-performance relationship is more positive among state-owned enterprises (SOEs) than among privately-owned enterprises (POEs). Research and practical implications for EO in China are discussed.

Can the Media Discipline Chinese Firms’ Pollution Behaviors? The Mediating Effects of the Public and Government

Extant stakeholder studies posit that the media have a direct impact on firms’ pollution behaviors. By integrating agenda-setting theory with the stakeholder framework, we propose the media exert an influence on firms’ pollution behaviors through two primary stakeholders: the government and the public. Longitudinal archival data collected from Chinese newspapers in 2009 indicate that the government tends to take actions upon the official newspaper reports, while the public acts upon the reports from commercialized papers. Both the government’s and the public’s actions can prompt the firm to provide solutions to its pollution problems. In addition, the government’s actions mediate the relationship between official media coverage and firm solutions, and the public’s actions mediate the link between commercialized media coverage and firm solutions.

Proactiveness, Stakeholder–Firm Power Difference, and Product Safety and Quality of Chinese Smes

Despite an abundance of research on entrepreneurial orientation and various dimensions of firm financial performance, very little is known about the specific influence of proactiveness on performance. In the current research, we explore the role of proactiveness in firms’ interaction with the external environment. In particular, we examine the influence of proactiveness in stakeholder–firm power difference. Further, we investigate the extent to which stakeholder–firm power difference affects product safety and quality. Using a sample of 144 Chinese small– and medium–sized enterprises (SMEs), we found that proactiveness can decrease government– and media–firm power differences. Government–firm power difference reduces product concerns, yet media–firm power difference deteriorates the purported product strengths for Chinese SMEs.

The Value of Organizational Ambivalence for Small and Medium Size Enterprises in an Uncertain World

Prior literature suggests two competing mechanisms for how organizations respond to environmental forces – absorption and reduction – but there is no consensus on which mechanism is more effective. We solve this puzzle by analysing one underlying dimension of these two mechanisms – organizational ambivalence – in a small and medium size enterprise context. Specifically, we believe that because of the difference in consuming resources, organizational ambivalence can be divided into latent and active, which exhibit different uses in dealing with environmental forces and improving firm performance. We conducted two studies in four countries to test our hypotheses. These two studies yield unanimous support for our hypotheses regarding the impact of organizational ambivalence on organizational performance and mixed support for our hypotheses concerning environmental impacts on organizational ambivalence.

EXPLORING INNOVATIVE NEW VENTURES IN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES

Data and general observations would indicate that Chinese new ventures are not as innovative as U.S. new ventures. This paper utilizes the Institution-Based View of Entrepreneurship to argue that the varying institutions within the subnational regions influence the innovativeness of new ventures. More specifically, this variation in innovativeness of new ventures is more salient in the Chinese setting than the United States setting because of the unevenness of institutional transitions within Chinese subnational regions. Using a sample of 488 Chinese new ventures and 317 U.S. new ventures, this paper not only shows that region matters beyond individual and industry characteristics, but also shows that China suffers from a weighted averages issue, with Central and West subnational regions of China bringing down its overall innovativeness of new ventures. This provides implications on the appropriateness of making comparisons at a country level.

Gender Differences And Entrepreneurial Munificence: The Pursuit Of Innovative New Ventures

Much of the literature on gender differences in entrepreneurship focuses on entrepreneurial propensity and access to resources. This study takes a step further to explore gender differences in the type of new ventures pursued. Specifically, we investigate whether there is a gender difference in the pursuit of innovative vs. imitative new ventures. Additionally, we examine whether perceptions of the entrepreneur’s environment influence the pursuit of innovative new ventures for female vs. male entrepreneurs. Utilizing PSED data, we find there is no significant difference between genders in the pursuit of innovative new ventures. However, entrepreneurial munificence (i.e., having friends who have started their own business and perceived support of financial institutions) matters for female-led businesses in their pursuit of innovative new ventures. These findings have major implications for building effective entrepreneurial ecosystems.

Exploring the Relationship Between Entrepreneurial Orientation, CEO Dual Values, and SME Performance in State‐Owned vs. Nonstate‐Owned Enterprises in China

Most entrepreneurial orientation (EO)–performance research focuses on identifying organizational–level contingent factors in developed countries. In this study, we advance EO research by examining how CEO self–enhancing and self–transcending values shape the relationship between EO and performance, differentially, in Chinese state–owned enterprises vs. nonstate–owned enterprises. Supporting self–concern and other–orientation theory, our sample of 148 manufacturing firms in the chemical industry in Eastern China indicates that the EO–performance relationship is stronger for high self–enhancing CEOs in state–owned enterprises, whereas the focal link is stronger for low self–enhancing CEOs in nonstate–owned enterprises.

The maturing of entrepreneurial firms: Entrepreneurial orientation, firm performance, and administrative heritage

A large body of research has exhibited the positive effect of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) on firm performance. However, research that attempts to explore what happens to high EO firms when they mature is sorely needed. Every firm establishes a heritage over time that impacts future capabilities. In the current research, we build on the international business literature to examine how a firmʼs administrative heritage moderates the long-term effects of the EO-performance relationship, examined through the firmʼs asset specificity, founder tenure, and home culture embeddedness. From this, implications are derived for EO retention and the firmʼs awareness of administrative heritage and how to shape it to their advantage.

An investigation of entrepreneurial orientation and organisational strategies in Chinese SMEs

This paper attempts to enhance our understanding of entrepreneurship in China by addressing two research questions: 1) Can entrepreneurship in China be understood through the constructs (e.g., entrepreneurial orientation) developed in Western cultures?; 2) Do entrepreneurial firms in China employ the same strategies as their Western peers do? We conducted two studies to examine the validity of Millers original scale of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the Chinese context and to investigate the relationships between EO and organisational strategies. Results indicate that the EO measure is psychometrically valid when applied in China. Further, innovation strategy is commonly adopted to compete in the market place, while cost-saving is not a significant strategic option.