INTRAPRENEURSHIPSession 19

Intrapreneurship

• Reviewed and discussed the findings of the report: Bosma, Stam, Wennekers (Jan 2010) 'Intrapreneurship - An International Study.’

Intrapreneurship

• An Intrapreneur is an employee who develops new business activities for their employer. It is also know as ‘corporate entrepreneurship’ or ‘corporate venturing’

• Their role would be parallel to that of the entrepreneur – generating new ideas, creating vision, identifying new opportunities and ways to exploit them.

• The role has been described as a ‘change master’ (Kanter, 1985)

Intrapreneurs may…

• Manage specific projects• Set up new business units• Reinvigorate the whole organisation• Reinvent the industry through a radical vision or change in

technology (product or process)• Act as a disruptive force to shake existing managers from

their comfort zone• Challenge existing orthodoxy• Question policy – thrive on chaos (Peters, 1989).• Reap the rewards.

Recent research found

• Intrapreneurs have more interest in starting a new independent business than other employees.

• They have more entrepreneurial attitudes and perceptions.

• They personally know an entrepreneur who recently started a business and feel that they have the skills.

• They see opportunities in their environment and do not have a fear of failure that would prevent them from starting a business.

Bosma, Stam, Wennekers (Jan 2010) 'Intrapreneurship - An International Study.'