Intrapreneurship in Small Businesses: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

In today's context of increasing market globalization, firms wishing to maintain their competitiveness must innovate constantly. Many authors have suggested Intrapreneurship as a method of stimulating innovation and using the creative energy of employees by giving them the resources and independence they need to innovate within the firm. It is somewhat surprising, however, that research into Intrapreneurship has so far concentrated exclusively on large organizations, even though small businesses face the same need for innovation if they are to remain competitive. This exploratory research, which examines the phenomenon of intrapreneurship in the small business context, is aimed at filling the gap. This paper concentrates on some specific aspects of the research, including the different types of intrapreneurship observed, the factors governing their emergence, motivating factors for the intrapreneurs and the owner-managers of the firms, and the strategic processes involved.