IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbvent/v35y2020i4s0883902618307444.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Short leash or long leash? Parenting style, initial strategic clarity, and the development of venture learning proficiency

Author

Listed:
  • Covin, Jeffrey G.
  • Garrett, Robert P.
  • Kuratko, Donald F.
  • Shepherd, Dean A.

Abstract

Corporate venture development suggests that internal corporate ventures (ICVs) must become proficient learners if they are to cope successfully with the uncertainty inherent to their operations. Accordingly, the parent corporations in which ICVs operate are challenged to identify and enact appropriate parenting styles that foster their ICVs' learning proficiency. The current research of 145 ICVs in 72 corporations builds on parenting theory to theorize that ICVs demonstrate the greatest learning proficiency when corporate parents give them a “leash length”—indicated via observed levels of top management support and operational decision-making autonomy—depending on the degree of strategic clarity under which the ICV was founded.

Suggested Citation

  • Covin, Jeffrey G. & Garrett, Robert P. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2020. "Short leash or long leash? Parenting style, initial strategic clarity, and the development of venture learning proficiency," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbvent:v:35:y:2020:i:4:s0883902618307444
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusvent.2019.105951
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883902618307444
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2019.105951?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Phan, Phillip H. & Wright, Mike & Ucbasaran, Deniz & Tan, Wee-Liang, 2009. "Corporate entrepreneurship: Current research and future directions," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 24(3), pages 197-205, May.
    2. Chandler, Gaylen N. & Hanks, Steven H., 1998. "An examination of the substitutability of founders human and financial capital in emerging business ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 13(5), pages 353-369, September.
    3. Wiklund, Johan & Baker, Ted & Shepherd, Dean, 2010. "The age-effect of financial indicators as buffers against the liability of newness," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 423-437, July.
    4. Morgan P. Miles & Jeffrey G. Covin, 2002. "Exploring the Practice of Corporate Venturing: Some Common Forms and Their Organizational Implications," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 26(3), pages 21-40, April.
    5. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Nathan R. Furr & Christopher B. Bingham, 2010. "CROSSROADS---Microfoundations of Performance: Balancing Efficiency and Flexibility in Dynamic Environments," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(6), pages 1263-1273, December.
    6. Ricardo Chiva & Joaquin Alegre & Rafael Lapiedra, 2007. "Measuring organisational learning capability among the workforce," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing, vol. 28(1), pages 224 - 242, April.
    7. Nick Bontis & Mary M. Crossan & John Hulland, 2002. "Managing An Organizational Learning System By Aligning Stocks and Flows," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(4), pages 437-469, June.
    8. Kuratko, Donald F. & Covin, Jeffrey G. & Garrett, Robert P., 2009. "Corporate venturing: Insights from actual performance," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 52(5), pages 459-467, September.
    9. Henning Breuer, 2013. "Lean Venturing: Learning To Create New Business Through Exploration, Elaboration, Evaluation, Experimentation, And Evolution," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 17(03), pages 1-22.
    10. Thomas Keil & Rita Gunther McGrath & Taina Tukiainen, 2009. "Gems from the Ashes: Capability Creation and Transformation in Internal Corporate Venturing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 601-620, June.
    11. Shrader, Rodney C. & Simon, Mark, 1997. "Corporate versus independent new ventures: Resource, strategy, and performance differences," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 47-66, January.
    12. Anderson, Brian S, 2018. "Endogeneity and Entrepreneurship Research," OSF Preprints 75tn8, Center for Open Science.
    13. Wendy K. Smith & Michael L. Tushman, 2005. "Managing Strategic Contradictions: A Top Management Model for Managing Innovation Streams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(5), pages 522-536, October.
    14. Hult, G. Tomas M. & Ferrell, O. C., 1997. "Global organizational learning capacity in purchasing: Construct and measurement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 97-111, October.
    15. Gautam Ahuja & Curba Morris Lampert, 2001. "Entrepreneurship in the large corporation: a longitudinal study of how established firms create breakthrough inventions," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(6‐7), pages 521-543, June.
    16. repec:sen:journl:v:57:i:4:y:2012:p:15 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Ricardo Chiva & Joaquin Alegre & Rafael Lapiedra, 2007. "Measuring organisational learning capability among the workforce," International Journal of Manpower, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 28(3/4), pages 224-242, June.
    18. Björn Ambos & Volker Mahnke, 2010. "How Do MNC Headquarters Add Value?," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 50(4), pages 403-412, August.
    19. Shaker Zahra, 2015. "Corporate entrepreneurship as knowledge creation and conversion: the role of entrepreneurial hubs," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 727-735, April.
    20. B. Leten & W. Van Dyck, 2012. "Corporate Venturing: Strategies and Success Factors," Review of Business and Economic Literature, Intersentia, vol. 57(4), pages 242-257, December.
    21. Scott Shane, 2000. "Prior Knowledge and the Discovery of Entrepreneurial Opportunities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 448-469, August.
    22. repec:sen:rebelj:v:57:i:4:y:2012:p:15 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Goh, Swee & Richards, Gregory, 1997. "Benchmarking the learning capability of organizations," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 575-583, October.
    24. Robert P. Garrett Jr. & Jeffrey G. Covin, 2015. "Internal Corporate Venture Operations Independence and Performance: A Knowledge–Based Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(4), pages 763-790, July.
    25. Foss, Nicolai J, 1997. "On the Rationales of Corporate Headquarters," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 6(2), pages 313-338, March.
    26. Ulrich Pidun & Harald Rubner & Matthias Krühler & Robert Untiedt & Michael Nippa, 2011. "Corporate Portfolio Management: Theory and Practice," Journal of Applied Corporate Finance, Morgan Stanley, vol. 23(1), pages 63-76, January.
    27. Ensley, Michael D. & Pearce, Craig L. & Hmieleski, Keith M., 2006. "The moderating effect of environmental dynamism on the relationship between entrepreneur leadership behavior and new venture performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 243-263, March.
    28. Kelley, Donna, 2011. "Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship: Evolving and connecting with the organization," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 73-83, January.
    29. Thornhill, Stewart & Amit, Raphael, 2001. "A dynamic perspective of internal fit in corporate venturing," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 25-50, January.
    30. Hornsby, Jeffrey S. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Zahra, Shaker A., 2002. "Middle managers' perception of the internal environment for corporate entrepreneurship: assessing a measurement scale," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 253-273, May.
    31. McGrath, Rita Gunther, 1995. "Advantage from adversity: Learning from disappointment in internal corporate ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 121-142, March.
    32. Andrews,Donald W. K. & Stock,James H. (ed.), 2005. "Identification and Inference for Econometric Models," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521844413.
    33. Yadong Luo & Mike W Peng, 1999. "Learning to Compete in a Transition Economy: Experience, Environment, and Performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 30(2), pages 269-295, June.
    34. Jeffrey G. Covin & Robert P. Garrett Jr. & Jyoti P. Gupta & Donald F. Kuratko & Dean A. Shepherd, 2018. "The Interdependence of Planning and Learning among Internal Corporate Ventures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(4), pages 537-570, July.
    35. Covin, Jeffrey G. & Garrett, Robert P. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2015. "Value proposition evolution and the performance of internal corporate ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 749-774.
    36. Jerez-Gomez, Pilar & Cespedes-Lorente, Jose & Valle-Cabrera, Ramon, 2005. "Organizational learning capability: a proposal of measurement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 58(6), pages 715-725, June.
    37. Pramodita Sharma & James J. Chrisman, 1999. "Toward a Reconciliation of the Definitional Issues in the Field of Corporate Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 23(3), pages 11-28, April.
    38. George P. Huber, 1991. "Organizational Learning: The Contributing Processes and the Literatures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 2(1), pages 88-115, February.
    39. Recchia, Anthony, 2010. "R-Squared Measures for Two-Level Hierarchical Linear Models Using SAS," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 32(c02).
    40. Ortega, María José Ruiz, 2010. "Competitive strategies and firm performance: Technological capabilities' moderating roles," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(12), pages 1273-1281, December.
    41. Udo Zander & Bruce Kogut, 1995. "Knowledge and the Speed of the Transfer and Imitation of Organizational Capabilities: An Empirical Test," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(1), pages 76-92, February.
    42. Kelley, Donna, 2011. "Sustainable corporate entrepreneurship: Evolving and connecting with the organization," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 73-83.
    43. Paul Gompers, 2002. "Corporations and the financing of innovation: The corporate venturing experience," Economic Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, vol. 87(Q4), pages 1-17.
    44. Constance E. Helfat & Margaret A. Peteraf, 2003. "The dynamic resource‐based view: capability lifecycles," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 24(10), pages 997-1010, October.
    45. Sykes, Hollister B., 1986. "The anatomy of a corporate venturing program: Factors influencing success," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 1(3), pages 275-293.
    46. Robert A. Burgelman, 1983. "Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategic Management: Insights from a Process Study," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(12), pages 1349-1364, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. McSweeney, Jordan J. & McSweeney, Kevin T. & Webb, Justin W. & Sandoval, Rosalyn G., 2022. "Passion drove me here: Exploring how types of entrepreneurial passion influence different entrepreneurial intentions," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 18(C).
    2. Deist, Maximilian K. & McDowell, William C. & Bouncken, Ricarda B., 2023. "Digital units and digital innovation: Balancing fluidity and stability for the Creation, Conversion, and Dissemination of sticky knowledge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    3. Jeffrey G. Covin & Robert P. Garrett & Ricarda B. Bouncken & Martin Ratzmann & Malcolm Muhammad, 2024. "Core business prospects and the management of internal corporate ventures," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 435-459, January.
    4. Waldkirch, Matthias & Kammerlander, Nadine & Wiedeler, Conrad, 2021. "Configurations for corporate venture innovation: Investigating the role of the dominant coalition," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    5. Tommaso Minola & Nadine Kammerlander & Franz W. Kellermanns & Frank Hoy, 2021. "Corporate Entrepreneurship and Family Business: Learning Across Domains," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(1), pages 1-26, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Covin, Jeffrey G. & Garrett, Robert P. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Shepherd, Dean A., 2015. "Value proposition evolution and the performance of internal corporate ventures," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 749-774.
    2. Jeffrey G. Covin & Robert P. Garrett & Donald F. Kuratko & Mark Bolinger, 2021. "Internal corporate venture planning autonomy, strategic evolution, and venture performance," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(1), pages 293-310, January.
    3. Waldkirch, Matthias & Kammerlander, Nadine & Wiedeler, Conrad, 2021. "Configurations for corporate venture innovation: Investigating the role of the dominant coalition," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 36(5).
    4. Jeffrey G. Covin & Robert P. Garrett Jr. & Jyoti P. Gupta & Donald F. Kuratko & Dean A. Shepherd, 2018. "The Interdependence of Planning and Learning among Internal Corporate Ventures," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(4), pages 537-570, July.
    5. Lennart Burger & Ivana Blažková, 2020. "Internal Determinants Promoting Corporate Entrepreneurship in Established Organizations: A Systematic Literature Review," Central European Business Review, Prague University of Economics and Business, vol. 2020(2), pages 19-45.
    6. Robert P. Garrett Jr. & Jeffrey G. Covin, 2015. "Internal Corporate Venture Operations Independence and Performance: A Knowledge–Based Perspective," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 39(4), pages 763-790, July.
    7. Narayanan, V.K. & Yang, Yi & Zahra, Shaker A., 2009. "Corporate venturing and value creation: A review and proposed framework," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 58-76, February.
    8. Jeffrey G. Covin & Robert P. Garrett & Ricarda B. Bouncken & Martin Ratzmann & Malcolm Muhammad, 2024. "Core business prospects and the management of internal corporate ventures," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(1), pages 435-459, January.
    9. Smith, Lisa & Rees, Patricia & Murray, Noel, 2016. "Turning entrepreneurs into intrapreneurs: Thomas Cook, a case-study," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 191-204.
    10. Eftychia Kessopoulou & Katerina Gotzamani & Styliani Xanthopoulou & George Tsiotras, 2023. "Conceptualizing and Validating a Model for Benchlearning Capability: Results from the Greek Public Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-17, January.
    11. Deryck J Van Rensburg, 2015. "The Promise of Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Review of Data Analytic Strategies," Business and Management Research, Business and Management Research, Sciedu Press, vol. 4(1), pages 59-73, March.
    12. Alexandra Luciana GUTA, 2018. "Organizational Learning Capability. Model Testing In Universities," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 17, pages 229-240, September.
    13. Maria Glinyanova & Ricarda B. Bouncken & Victor Tiberius & Antonio C. Cuenca Ballester, 2021. "Five decades of corporate entrepreneurship research: measuring and mapping the field," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1731-1757, December.
    14. Manuel Castriotta & Michela Loi & Elona Marku & Ludovica Moi, 2021. "Disentangling the corporate entrepreneurship construct: conceptualizing through co-words," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 2821-2863, April.
    15. Alexandra Luciana Gu??, 2015. "An analysis of factors that influence organizational learning: The case of higher education institutions," Proceedings of International Academic Conferences 1003387, International Institute of Social and Economic Sciences.
    16. Masucci, Monica & Parker, Simon C. & Brusoni, Stefano & Camerani, Roberto, 2021. "How are corporate ventures evaluated and selected?," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Joaquín Camps & Antonio Majocchi, 2010. "Learning Atmosphere and Ethical Behavior, Does It Make Sense?," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 94(1), pages 129-147, June.
    18. Alexandra Luciana GUȚĂ, 2014. "Ways Of Managing Organizational Learning," SEA - Practical Application of Science, Romanian Foundation for Business Intelligence, Editorial Department, issue 4, pages 257-266, July.
    19. Lutz Göcke & Kristina Hülsebusch & Matthias Menter, 2022. "The legitimacy of corporate entrepreneurship: a structured literature review," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 72(2), pages 385-416, June.
    20. David Urbano & Andreu Turro & Mike Wright & Shaker Zahra, 2022. "Corporate entrepreneurship: a systematic literature review and future research agenda," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(4), pages 1541-1565, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbvent:v:35:y:2020:i:4:s0883902618307444. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusvent .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.