Firm Level Entrepreneurship and Operations Management – EnablingFlexible Responses to Changing Market Demands

Only recently researchers have started to focus on the interface of production andoperations management and (corporate) entrepreneurship. The present study builds onthis developing research stream and develops and empirically analyzes a model thatillustrates how a firm’s entrepreneurial orientation transforms into performance via themediating factor of manufacturing flexibility (conceptualized as manufacturing range andmanufacturing flexibility). Data from German manufacturing firms suggest a positiveimpact of entrepreneurial orientation on the dimensions of manufacturing flexibility,these, however, go along with ambiguous impact on firm performance. Consequently,measures are suggested to help firms to benefit from entrepreneurial orientation as ageneral strategic posture and the resulting manufacturing flexibility on the productionfloor, thus allowing for continuous success and growth.