The Role of Intrapreneurship on Individual Work Performance: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Despite increased interest in intrapreneurship, little is understood about its role in individual performance. Consequently, individuals’ contribution to intrapreneurial outcomes is poorly recognised and harnessed in organisations. Our article aims to identify possible reasons for the inconsistencies in the relationship between intrapreneurship (INT) and individual work performance (IWP) reported in the literature. Drawing from the social learning theory, and adopting a quantitative design, we test if the relationship between INT and IWP is (a) moderated by organisational climate (OC) and (b) non-linear (e.g., inverted U-shaped). Our analysis of data collected from 329 Sri Lankan middle-level employees and their supervisors suggest that the INT–IWP relationship is positively moderated by OC, and OC positively relates to employees’ propensity to take calculated risk. Furthermore, the INT–IWP relationship takes an inverted U-shape, such that after an optimal point, INT negatively relates to IWP.