Bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to health-care: a new tool for better outcomes

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the value of an industry ecosystem in providing context for both identifying and evaluating organisation opportunities and related entrepreneurial behaviour for future strategic growth by reference to a case study in the health-care industry. Using a validated entrepreneurship mindset audit instrument, an assessment is made of the leadership, decision-making, behaviour and awareness dimensions of professional practice health-care staff to create the internal culture that fosters an entrepreneurial orientated organisation that can deliver effective innovation for satisfied users of health-care services.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study examines the distinctive dimensions of entrepreneurial mindset – leadership, decision-making, behaviour and awareness – within a practice-based health-care (nursing) ecosystem and how these dimensions impact organisation performance throughout the health-care industry.

Findings

This study validates research findings that entrepreneurial leadership encourages entrepreneurial behaviour and an entrepreneurial culture supports the development of innovations. Opportunities for such cultural behaviour are best understood by measuring the staff’s and leaders’ “entrepreneurial mindset”.

Research limitations/implications

Generalising results from this case study requires caution. The positive outcome from the professional practice examples, and their strong association with impactful entrepreneurial mindset values on service delivery, requires further evaluation.

Practical implications

Using an entrepreneurial mindset audit to assess organisation’s cultural behaviour enables management to identify factors fostering or inhibiting entrepreneurial activity and to devise interventions to improve strategic direction.

Originality/value

Entrepreneurial mindset is not a new concept, but adding the critical significance of spiritual awareness to creative entrepreneur behaviour, together with a visioning map, adds both value and understanding to enhance organisation performance.

Citation

Gillin, L.M. and Hazelton, L.M. (2021), "Bringing an entrepreneurial mindset to health-care: a new tool for better outcomes", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 42 No. 4, pp. 278-287. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-03-2020-0049