Organisational Determinants of Participation of Administrative Staff in Corporate Entrepreneurship: Evidence from South African Higher Education

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) has become a vital strategy for higher education institutions to remain flexible, strong and competitive in dynamic environments. Although a large part of the scholarship has focused on academics and senior leaders, limited attention has been given to the roles and contributions of administrative staff within CE, despite their central role in the day-to-day running of the institutions. Administrative staff often face barriers, such as exclusion from decision-making processes, limited access to innovation funding, inadequate entrepreneurial training and bureaucratic procedures that constrain idea generation and implementation. This study investigates the challenges, roles and organisational factors influencing administrative staff’s participation in CE at a South African university of technology. A quantitative research design grounded in a positivist paradigm was adopted, involving a census sample of 110 administrative employees. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire adapted from the Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument and analysed using SPSS version 28. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise trends, while inferential analysis, including correlation analysis and reliability testing using Cronbach’s alpha, was conducted to examine relationships and ensure internal consistency. The findings indicate that bureaucratic rigidity, insufficient financial resources and limited training significantly constrain participation, whereas management support and autonomy only moderately enable participation. This study contributes to practice by proposing inclusive governance structures, targeted training programmes and institutional policies that support resource allocation and recognition of administrative innovation, thereby fostering a more inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial culture.