Entrepreneurial orientation and innovation performance: on the role of organizational climate

This research addresses the topic of innovation management and performance, focusing on the relation between entrepreneurial orientation of employees, and innovation performance of firms. Although this relationship has been extensively investigated, what seems to be still underexplored is the moderating role of the organizational context, and more specifically the organizational climate, in conditioning the effects of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk-taking propensity of people involved in innovation activities. The research also addresses the interplay between the entrepreneurial orientation of managers and the organizational climate in supporting innovation. This study aims to provide theoretical and empirical contributions to the scientific debate on innovation management. From a theoretical point of view, the research proposes an interpretative framework, which describes the relationships investigated, and derives a number of propositions. The future part of this research will consist an empirical analysis of the propositions, focusing on the Japanese context, and considering nurumayu - a key concept describing the organizational climate that characterizes several Japanese firms, as to investigate its role in innovation performance. Indeed, nurumayu is described as a “lukewarm feeling” perceived by Japanese organization members, holding them back from engaging in organizational change and innovation. Finally, the research will offer insights to managers involved in designing effective organizational contexts to stimulate creativity and innovation.