Chapter 6: Humane Entrepreneurial Orientation as Strategic Posture: A Proposal for Measurement and Enterprise Classification

Although Humane Entrepreneurial Orientation (HEO) represents the focal dimension in Humane Entrepreneurship (HumEnt) theory and has been understood in two different ways, empirical evidence in the realm of business on this construct is severely lacking. The goal of this chapter is to perform an empirical assessment of HEO measurement having the aim of categorizing the types of enterprises that emerge from HumEnt theory. To these ends, a questionnaire with items designed to capture HEO components was developed, and a survey among entrepreneurs located in Italy was administered to provide a basis for an exploratory factor analysis. Results demonstrated that HumEnt enterprises are no longer invisible, and a novel way to identify them has been proposed. Theoretical and practical implications are formulated consequentially to the first step along the HEO measurement scale empirical assessment.