Decifrando os custos e ganhos psicológicos do intraempreendedorismo do funcionário

Abstract

Following the formal multiple studies structure theses, this doctoral research sought to make sense of the psychological mechanisms having an effect on individuals engaged in intrapreneurial behavior. The effects of intrapreneurship on several states of wellbeing at work experienced by such individuals were observed. The thesis consisted of three articles. The first article was a literature review for a preliminary foundation of the theoretical framework. Being conducted via a systematic literature review on 40 articles, this first study contributed to the recognition of the intrapreneurship theme’s emerging characteristics associated with wellbeing at work. The second article was pilot research of empirical nature in the form of a survey, which tested both the validity of the measurement model proposed in the study, and the hypotheses as to the causal relationships between the constructs initially considered in the thesis’ theoretical model. The results of this second study confirmed the causal relationships proposed in the hypotheses by unveiling as findings the existence of the moderator influence of years of experience on the influential relationships of the intrapreneurial behavior as well as the psychological capital on work exhaustion. The third article was a new empirical study also conducted as a survey, based on an improved measurement model which tested influential relationships of the intrapreneurial behavior on exhaustion and work addiction having the psychological capital as a mediator variable of the causal relationships proposed in the hypotheses. The contributions from the three articles also clarified the reasons which enabled to explain the confirmation of some hypotheses devised in the studies and the rejection of others. Therefore, the psychological costs and benefits arising from intrapreneurial activities were better understood both in mitigating wellbeing negative experiences and in promoting positive wellbeing at work when it comes to intrapreneurial behaviors. The sum of the results of each study also brought as theoretical contributions the recognition of the relevance of the job demands-resources theory (JD-R) and positive psychology, for a better understanding of the psychological mechanisms that encourage a person to or inhibit them from practicing the intrapreneurial behavior. First, the practical contributions relate to the validation of diagnostic instruments capable of monitoring the effects of intrapreneurial activities on employees’ mental health. Finally, as a second contribution of the studies, the thesis provides guidelines and corporate policies for people management viewing a better balance of work demands in favor of intrapreneurship with employees’ limits of resilience conditioned to their psychological capital.