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Organizational Structure, Entrepreneurial Orientation and Trait Preference in Transportation Brokerage Firms
Author(s) -
Ashenbaum Bryan,
Salzarulo Peter A.,
Newman W. Rocky
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of supply chain management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.75
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1745-493X
pISSN - 1523-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-493x.2011.03252.x
Subject(s) - business , organizational structure , competitor analysis , marketing , space (punctuation) , entrepreneurship , preference , intermediary , typology , industrial organization , entrepreneurial orientation , promotion (chess) , microeconomics , management , economics , sociology , computer science , finance , politics , anthropology , political science , law , operating system
This article presents the results of an inductive, multiple‐case study of the transportation brokerage industry. Insights from the organizational behavior and entrepreneurship literature help to sharpen understanding of how organizational structure and entrepreneurial culture relate to firm‐level trait preferences in personnel hiring and promotion decisions. Using an inductive, theory‐building approach, a typology of four different organizational structures within the transportation brokerage space is proposed. Working propositions are presented that relate organizational structure, entrepreneurial orientation, the differential prioritization of proactive personality and self‐management at various stages of career progression, and perceptions of firm performance vis‐á‐vis competitors. Contributions to theory and practice, and the broader implications for supply chain intermediaries are discussed.