Is job autonomy really a blessing for empowering leadership–intrapreneurial behaviour nexus?: empirical evidence for situational strength theory
Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance
ISSN: 2051-6614
Article publication date: 4 November 2022
Issue publication date: 2 May 2023
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, the situation strength theory (SST) has been applied to assess the predictability of empowering leadership (EL) in explaining intrapreneurial behaviour (IB) under the strong situation effect of job autonomy (JA).
Design/methodology/approach
The proposed theoretical framework was assessed using cross-sectional survey data from 237 engineers employed in Pakistan's automotive firms. Covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) was used to analyse the survey data.
Findings
The study's results revealed a positive relationship of EL with JA and IB. Drawing from the conceptualisation of SST, JA serves as an organisational strong situation by offering sufficient cues and significantly intensifies the relationship between EL and IB.
Practical implications
The study contributes by establishing the requirement of strong organisational situations for nurturing IB in organisations. The study's outcomes are useful for academia, practitioners and industry to identify strong situations for employees' organisational behavioural outcomes like IB to dampen the personality impacts of employees on organisational processes. Hence, the study offered a major shift or an alternative in existing human resource practices, from personality assessments to creating cues from strong situations for fostering human behaviours. This will impact organisational human resource management scope during talent management, selection, promotion and employment.
Originality/value
The present study is novel from the IB investigation due to situational response in organisations, as assessed by employees. The study contributes towards SST by extending its epistemology to explain IB as an outcome of EL. The present study offers important empirical evidence for the role of the strong organisational situation of JA.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr. Nizam-ud-Din, Superior University, Lahore, Pakistan, Jawad Bashir, Engineer, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan, Ms. Nida Ashraf and Muhammad Shoaib Alam, Engineer, Nishat Textile Mills, Lahore, Pakistan, for their selfless guidance and support throughout the process. The authors are grateful to Engineer Umair at the Pakistan Association of Automotive Parts and Accessories Manufacturers (PAAPAM), Captain (Retired) Muhammad Akram and Bilal Akram at Hawks Engineers, Lahore, Pakistan, for offering administrative support and guidance for the research study. The authors also thank all the respondents and their corporations for assisting in the data collection process.
Citation
Alam, M.Z., Rafiq, M., Rehman, S. and Nasir, S. (2023), "Is job autonomy really a blessing for empowering leadership–intrapreneurial behaviour nexus?: empirical evidence for situational strength theory", Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, Vol. 10 No. 2, pp. 199-217. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-05-2022-0104
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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