Background: There are different types of firms in the world. Those that lead change and those who follow change. In this thesis, the authors have chosen to see if a dynamic industry in a developing nation can be the leaders of change, or if they are stuck as the ones following developments in the west. Sri Lanka is a developing nation with a rapidly growing software industry. Like its neighbour, India, the country and region has been known for its cheap, yet highly skilled labour. This study thus aimed at seeing if something other than price, namely entrepreneurial strategy can play a meaningful role in explaining growth. Purpose: To study the importance of the relationships between resources, entrepre-neurial orientation, the perceived environment and growth in a developing nation perspective. Theoretical framework: Theory based on the Resource Based View, arguing that unique combinations of resources and capabilities are the creators of strategy and competitive advantage, together with theory on the Entrepreneurial Orien-tation of firms looking at innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking auton-omy of firms, was used to build a framework for analysing what drives growth in a dynamic market. Method: In order to fulfil the purpose of the thesis, a quantitative study was con-ducted. A web survey was sent out to 73 firms, while 41 responded. A smaller qualitative study was also conducted in order to exemplify and pro-vide deeper knowledge on the findings from the quantitative part. Conclusion: Several important knowledge-based resources and the EO components of proactiveness and autonomy showed significant relations to growth. Also, the findings indicated that certain resources contributed significantly to the EO of firms. However, it was proved that Sri Lanka’s software industry is not driven by innovation, but rather other factors.

<p>Background: There are different types of firms in the world. Those that lead change and those who follow change. In this thesis, the authors have chosen to see if a dynamic industry in a developing nation can be the leaders of change, or if they are stuck as the ones following developments in the west.</p><p>Sri Lanka is a developing nation with a rapidly growing software industry. Like its neighbour, India, the country and region has been known for its cheap, yet highly skilled labour. This study thus aimed at seeing if something other than price, namely entrepreneurial strategy can play a meaningful role in explaining growth.</p><p>Purpose: To study the importance of the relationships between resources, entrepre-neurial orientation, the perceived environment and growth in a developing nation perspective.</p><p>Theoretical framework: Theory based on the Resource Based View, arguing that unique combinations of resources and capabilities are the creators of strategy and competitive advantage, together with theory on the Entrepreneurial Orien-tation of firms looking at innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking auton-omy of firms, was used to build a framework for analysing what drives growth in a dynamic market.</p><p>Method: In order to fulfil the purpose of the thesis, a quantitative study was con-ducted. A web survey was sent out to 73 firms, while 41 responded. A smaller qualitative study was also conducted in order to exemplify and pro-vide deeper knowledge on the findings from the quantitative part.</p><p>Conclusion: Several important knowledge-based resources and the EO components of proactiveness and autonomy showed significant relations to growth. Also, the findings indicated that certain resources contributed significantly to the EO of firms. However, it was proved that Sri Lanka’s software industry is not driven by innovation, but rather other factors.</p>

El corporate entrepreneurship és un àmbit de coneixement que apareix durant la segona meitat del segle XX com a extensió de la iniciativa emprenedora aplicada a les organitzacions empresarials. Es defineix com el conjunt d'estratègies i de pràctiques que apliquen les empreses per fomentar, cultivar i gestionar les capacitats emprenedores de l'organització que faciliten el desenvolupament de nous projectes.L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és identificar com han adaptat les empreses espanyoles el corporate entrepreneurship a les seves estratègies, com també conèixer si existeix una relació positiva entre l'adopció d'aquestes pràctiques i els resultats empresarials.Aquesta tesi ha utilitzat dos constructes diferents per mesurar el corporate entrepreneurship: l'Orientació Emprenedora, que inclou dimensions identificades en altres estudis empírics, i les Pràctiques Emprenedores, que fan referència a un seguit d'activitats que les empreses duen a terme per millorar la capacitat emprenedora. A partir d'una mostra de 254 empreses industrials espanyoles que van respondre un qüestionari que incloïa preguntes relatives a l'Orientació Emprenedora, les Pràctiques Emprenedores i les variables d'entorn, d'estratègia i de resultats, s'han obtingut quatre tipologies d'empreses, segons el nivell de corporate entrepreneurship: emprenedores internes i externes, intraemprenedores, emprenedores externes i seguidores. Les tres primeres són innovadores i proactives, i es diferencien entre elles pel tipus de pràctiques que segueixen a l'hora de buscar noves oportunitats. La darrera tipologia està formada per empreses amb nivells baixos de corporate entrepreneurship.Les anàlisis de regressió múltiple han confirmat que hi ha una relació positiva entre el corporate entrepreneurship i els resultats empresarials, mesurats a partir d'indicadors econòmics i d'indicadors no econòmics. A més, aquesta recerca ha analitzat la influència contingencial dels dos constructes del corporate entrepreneurship, i ha demostrat que adoptar Pràctiques Emprenedores fa augmentar l'Orientació Emprenedora de l'empresa, cosa que finalment desemboca en una millora dels resultats. / El corporate entrepreneurship es un campo de conocimiento que surge en la segunda mitad del siglo XX como una extensión de la iniciativa emprendedora aplicada a las organizaciones empresariales. Se define como el conjunto de estrategias y prácticas que llevan a cabo las empresas para fomentar, cultivar y gestionar las capacidades emprendedoras de la organización que facilitan el desarrollo de nuevos proyectos.El objetivo de este proyecto es conocer la forma en la que las empresas españolas han adaptado el corporate entrepreneurship a sus estrategias, así como si existe una relación positiva entre la adopción de estas prácticas y los resultados empresariales.Esta tesis ha utilizado dos constructos diferentes para medir el corporate entrepreneurship: la Orientación Emprendedora, que incluye dimensiones identificadas en otros estudios empíricos, y las Prácticas Emprendedoras, que hacen referencia a una serie de actividades que acometen las empresas para mejorar su capacidad emprendedora.A partir de una muestra de 254 empresas industriales españolas que contestaron un cuestionario en el que se incluían preguntas relativas a la Orientación Emprendedora, las Prácticas Emprendedoras y variables de entorno, de estrategia y de resultados, se han obtenido cuatro tipologías de empresas, atendiendo a su nivel de corporate entrepreneurship: emprendedoras internas y externas, intraemprendedoras, emprendedoras externas y seguidoras. Las tres primeras son innovadoras y proactivas, y se diferencian entre sí por el tipo de prácticas que siguen para la búsqueda de nuevas oportunidades. La última tipología está formada por empresas con bajos niveles de corporate entrepreneurship.Los análisis de regresión múltiple han confirmado la existencia de una relación positiva entre el corporate entrepreneurship y los resultados empresariales, medidos a partir de indicadores económicos y no económicos. Además, esta investigación ha analizado la influencia contingencial de los dos constructos de corporate entrepreneurship y ha demostrado que la adopción de Prácticas Emprendedoras hace aumentar la Orientación Emprendedora de la empresa, lo que finalmente redunda en una mejora de los resultados. / Corporate Entrepreneurship is a field of knowledge that emerged in the second half of the twentieth century as an extension of entrepreneurial initiative applied to business organisations. It is defined as the series of strategies and practices carried out by companies to promote, cultivate and manage the organisation's entrepreneurial skills in relation to facilitating the development of new projects. The aim of this project is to understand how Spanish companies have adapted Corporate Entrepreneurship to their business strategies, and to ascertain whether there is a positive relationship between the adoption of these practices and business results. This thesis has used two different constructs to measure Corporate Entrepreneurship: Entrepreneurial Orientation, which includes the same dimensions identified in other empirical studies, and Entrepreneurial Practices, referring to a series of activities undertaken by companies to improve their entrepreneurial capacity. Based on a sample of 254 Spanish industrial firms that answered a questionnaire which included questions on Entrepreneurial Orientation, Entrepreneurial Practices, as well as strategy, context and performance variables, four types of firms have been obtained, depending on their level of Corporate Entrepreneurship: internal and external entrepreneurial companies, intrapreneurial companies, external entrepreneurial companies and followers. The first three types are innovative and proactive, and differentiated by the kind of practices followed in the pursuit of new opportunities. The last type is composed of companies with low levels of Corporate Entrepreneurship. Multiple regression analysis confirmed the existence of a positive relationship between Corporate Entrepreneurship and business results, measured based on economic and non-economic indicators. Moreover, this research has examined the contingencial influence of both Corporate Entrepreneurship constructs and has demonstrated that the adoption of Entrepreneurial Practices increases companies' Entrepreneurial Orientation, which ultimately leads to improved performance.