A study for perceptions of academic and administrative staff towards intrapreneurship

Abstract

The number of universities is on a continuous rise in Turkey and around the world, making the competition between them ever more intense. In this competition, university staff have an important contribution to make to their organizations, through the roles they will assume. This study aims to measure perceptions of intrapreneurship among academic and administrative staff. The population of this study consisted of the employees of the only private university in the region. A total of 198 university employees participated in the study, 121 of them academics (57 faculty members and 64 English instructors) and 77 members of the administrative staff. Data were collected using survey methodology. The data collected were examined using statistical techniques such as descriptive analysis, t-test and one way analysis of variance, conducted using the SPSS software package, focusing on five dimensions of intrapreneurship. Academic and administrative staff received average scores for each dimension of intrapreneurship, and areas of improvement associated with the five dimensions were identified in the internal structure of the university. "Time" and "Organizational Boundaries" were identified as the dimensions most in need of improvement. Academics and administrative staff were found to differ significantly in their perceptions of intrapreneurship only with respect to the "time" dimension. Demographic variables such as gender, marital status, age, first time employment at a university, desired sector, and professions of parents did not result in significant differences among university employees in terms of their perceptions of intrapreneurship. To develop and improve intrapreneurship, universities are advised to focus on job structure and intra-organizational factors, as well as on resources, benefits and other support provided to employees.