Intrapreneurship - An International Study
The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) has carried out a study of ‘intrapreneurship’, a term coined for employees who develop new business activities and opportunities within existing businesses and organisations.
Whereas several studies into intrapreneurship or ‘corporate venturing’ have taken place, there has been very little focus on the effects of intrapreneurship and its relationship with independent entrepreneurship of individuals.
The study presents the first results of an international comparative study of the individual and intrapreneurship. It accounts for examples of intrapreneurship in eleven countries with varying degrees of wealth and goes on to deliver insight into the relationship between independent entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship at a national level in order to determine whether or not intrapreneurs are more likely on the whole to become entrepreneurs than their colleagues.
The paper draws its conclusions by defining ‘intrapreneurship’ and analysing empirical research collected following a specifically designed questionnaire. Findings show that on average less than 5% of employees are intrapreneurs, although the phenomenon is roughly twice as prevalent in high income as in low income countries.
Intrapreneurs are more likely than other employees to have plans to start their own business; however, intrapreneurship rarely leads to independent entrepreneurship due to the attraction of job security.
The GEM concludes that intrapreneurship is not a very wide-spread phenomenon and is more prevalent in high income than in low income countries. It found that on an individual level intrapreneurs are more likely to become independent entrepreneurs but at a national level this was not the case – a contrast that the report explain can be explained by the diverging effect of per capita income on intrapreneurship and on early stage entrepreneurial activity.
The level of entrepreneurial activity seems to be driven by the same underlying characteristics, but its manifestation depends on the economic and institutional context of the individuals involved.
To access the full report follow this link: http://www.ondernemerschap.nl/sys/cftags/assetnow/design/widgets/site/ctm_getFile.cfm?file=H201005.pdf&perId=0