Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the development and validation of the entrepreneurial behaviour inventory (EBI), an instrument for measuring the entrepreneurial behaviours of corporate managers. Design/methodology/approach – Through actual consulting experience, interviews and discussions with business owners and company managers, 40 incidents were written to describe ten of the most commonly identified entrepreneurial attributes. The response options were developed using behaviourally anchored rating scales and were validated by rank‐order correlation analysis and t‐tests. The authors then conducted a study to examine the dimensionality of the EBI via principal component analysis and to reduce the number of situations from 40 to 12. A confirmatory factory analysis was further conducted using the data from a second sample of corporate managers. Findings – Through an integrated series of studies, the authors identified a reliable and valid four‐factor structure of the EBI. The dimensions are innovativeness, risk taking, change orientation, and opportunism. Originality/value – The EBI is an effective and objective instrument for assessing entrepreneurial behaviours applicable to both business owners as well as corporate entrepreneurs. Using a simulated incident method with behaviourally anchored rating scales, the EBI provides a sophisticated means of assessing actual behaviours rather than traits or attitudes. The EBI is useful for classifying types of entrepreneurs and forming the basis for training and developing entrepreneurial corporate managers.
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