The Relationship Between the Soft Skills of Owner-Managers of Small-to-Medium-Sized Enterprises that Contribute to an Innovative Culture

摘要

The topic of this research study explores the relationship between soft skills of owner-managers of small-to-medium-sized enterprises and an innovative culture within those enterprises. The research question for this study was, to what extent do Integrity Index, Communication Index, Flexibility Index, Courtesy Index, Interpersonal Skills Index, Positive Attitude Index, Professionalism Index, Responsibility Index, Team Work Index, and Work Ethic Index explain variations in the Innovate Organizational Culture Index. A quantitative survey design examined the responses of 138 owner-managers of small-to-medium-sized enterprises within the United States, drawn from a QualtricsRTM survey panel. The study obtained responses using the Soft Skills Inventory and Innovative Culture Inventory. Multiple linear regression assessed the relationship between the ten independent variables and the dependent variable. Results indicated a statistical significance between two of the ten independent variables and the dependent variable. Flexibility Index [(p = .076)] and Responsibility Index [(p = .001)] were statistically significant in creating an innovative culture within small-to-medium-sized enterprises within the United States. The ten independent variables explained 47.9% of the variance in the dependent variable (adjusted R2 = .479).