Does entrepreneurial learning translate into personal initiative in the workplace? A role congruity perspective

Drawing on role congruity theory (RCT), we posit that entrepreneurial learning (EL) fosters employees’ personal initiative (PI) due to the congruity between entrepreneurial qualities and the employee role. We further investigate contingencies that shape such congruity, thereby affecting the EL–PI relationship: individual-level (gender) and firm-level (size and age) characteristics. Using data from 5,564 working students drawn from the “Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey” (GUESSS), our regression analyses confirm that EL fosters PI. This effect is more positive for male employees, since gendered role expectations limit the congruity between entrepreneurial qualities and PI in females. Additionally, the positive EL–PI relationship is more pronounced in employees in larger and older firms, as the employee roles in these organizations display greater congruity with entrepreneurial qualities. Our findings extend research on EL, which has traditionally focused on new venture creation, by showing that EL enhances employees’ PI in existing organizations.