Why Should I Become an Intrapreneur? Introducing the Concept of Intrapreneurial Outcome Expectations

Abstract

This study increases the understanding of students’ beliefs concerning intrapreneurial behaviour and its consequences. Based on previous studies of intrapreneurship and entrepreneurial outcome expectations and qualitative data collected from university students, we aimed to conceptualise students’ intrapreneurial outcome expectations and expose the possible differences between entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial outcome expectations related to entrepreneurship education. The qualitative research material comprised 74 learning diaries of students participating in bachelor-level intrapreneurship courses. The qualitative research material was analysed according to a qualitative content analysis. Intrapreneurial outcome expectations respond to the question, ‘If I engage in intrapreneurship, what will happen?’ The findings revealed that students perceived positive and negative consequences of intrapreneurial outcome expectations at three levels: individual, organisational, and societal. The findings also revealed differences between intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial outcome expectations regarding the level at which the students handled the content. The study highlights the importance of levels of outcome expectations other than the individual level, which dominates general and entrepreneurship outcome expectations research. It demonstrates that intrapreneurial outcome expectations should be considered different from entrepreneurial outcome expectations and understood not only from the individual level, as the consequences of intrapreneurial behaviour influence people, organisations, and beyond.