Introduction: Rapid technological change, intensified competition, shifting customer needs, and market uncertainty have made corporate entrepreneurship essential for manufacturing firms. Wire and cable producers face additional pressures related to technological complexity, evolving standards, and the need for innovative products and processes. However, the factors shaping corporate entrepreneurship in this industry have received limited empirical attention. The present study was conducted with the aim of investigating and identifying the factors affecting corporate entrepreneurship in wire and cable manufacturing companies, with a focus on Shahid Ghandi Manufacturing Company.
Method: This developmental-applied research used an exploratory mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 university academics and senior managers selected through purposive sampling. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation, which was reached after 13 interviews; three further interviews were conducted for assurance. The data were analyzed through thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s framework. Qualitative validity was assessed through triangulation, member checking, and peer review, while test-retest coding produced an overall reliability of 89%. In the quantitative phase, the proposed model was evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling in SmartPLS. The population included 137 managers and experts, of whom 101 were selected by Cochran’s formula and simple random sampling. Data were gathered using a researcher-developed five-point Likert questionnaire. Expert review confirmed content validity, and Cronbach’s alpha was 0.802.
Findings: The analysis identified six major categories influencing corporate entrepreneurship: employee factors, managerial factors, organizational activity factors, organizational capacity factors, external environmental factors, and process factors. These categories included employee personality, knowledge, and skills; leadership, management style, and human resource practices; organizational structure, governance, systems, and strategic orientation; culture, social climate, resources, and motivational policies; market, technological, economic, and legal-political conditions; and idea management, internal collaboration, open innovation, and innovation portfolio management. Quantitative findings supported the model. The KMO value was 0.824, Bartlett’s test was significant, all factor loadings exceeded 0.50, and all AVE values were above 0.50. The findings demonstrated acceptable levels of reliability, validity, and model fit indices.
Conclusion: Corporate entrepreneurship in manufacturing companies results from the interaction of individual, managerial, organizational, environmental, and process-related conditions. Its development requires an integrated approach that strengthens employee capabilities, managerial support, organizational infrastructure, resource availability, environmental adaptability, and systematic innovation processes. The validated model offers managers a practical framework for identifying weaknesses and prioritizing interventions that support innovation, organizational renewal, and sustainable competitiveness.