Key factor intrapreneurship : the development of a systems model to facilitate the perpetuation of entrepreneurship in the larger South African organisation

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:This study focuses on corporate entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship. Current research on thesubject focuses on traditional theory of intrapreneurship in which the creation, structure andfocus of business ventures feature prominently. Central to an intrapreneurship inquiryhowever, are the people who make up the organisation and their interaction within theorganisation through structures and processes. Many members in an organisation can initiateand be involved in entrepreneurial activities, but the lack of autonomy and access to resourcescan restrict them from doing so.This study proposes a solution to these problems by focusing inwards into organisations andexamining ways to foster intrapreneurship. It also emphasises the influence of executiveleadership on organisational outcomes. In addition it proposes an answer to the question ofhow internal structures and processes can facilitate intrapreneurship and how management'srelationship with staff can promote intrapreneurship. Through this the study adds to thecurrent understanding of intrapreneurship. The study examines the relationship of a proposedintrapreneurship model to organisational performance, particularly financial performance.Lastly it examines intrapreneurship in context.Once an organisation behaves intrapreneurially, positive results could follow, therefore therelationship between one of the possible results, that of improved financial performance andintrapreneurship is researched in this study. Financial data form the basis of the calculation ofmany measures of performance. Organisations, however, are generally not willing to supplyresearchers with hard financial data. A possible way to overcome this problem is to measurefinancial outcomes through the interpreted views of management, for example that sales increased or decreased, rather than stating the absolute value. However, this is a subjectivemeasure and the researcher decided to overcome this problem by concentrating the study on asector of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for which published financial data is available.The published financial data forms the basis for the calculation of an index that is used todiscriminate between better and weaker financial performance of organisations.The study identifies nine dimensions of the construct Intrapreneurship, which were factorisedinto three key factors. Two of the key factors focus externally and one internally. The finalintrapreneurship model that emerges from the study represents the organisation'sinnovativeness, proactiveness, and management's influence on organisational structures,processes and internal relations.This model represents product lines and changes, research and development leadership, newtechniques employed in the organisation, the organisation's competitive posture and its risktakingpropensity, its environmental boldness and the decision-making style of managementin terms of external opportunities. The model also addresses internal structures and processes,as well as relations in terms of intrapreneurial goal setting - a system that promotes,facilitates and manages creativity and innovation. It addresses an intracapital system forsupplying resources and it facilitates communication. The model allows for staff input tomanagement, a degree of intrapreneurial freedom, a problem-solving culture and empoweredstaff. Finally, it provides for the championing of intrapreneurs hip by management.In the study, hypotheses are set to establish if a relationship exists between intrapreneurshipand financial performance and to examine intrapreneurship in context. The influence of organisational age, organisational size and the organisation's share Beta on intrapreneurship,is examined. The conclusions of the study can be summarised as follows:There is a relationship between financial performance and intrapreneurship as represented bythe key factor management. The key factor management is a significant predictor of financialsuccess. Organisations with higher levels of intrapreneurship are therefore more likely to befinancially successful than those organisations with lower levels of intrapreneurship. The keyfactors that represent the proposed model each correlates moderately with the financial index.The key factor added by this study to the traditional model of intrapreneurship, improve thecorrelation and enrich the model.The study confirms the view that organisations can be intrapreneurial, regardless of size,which is measured by both employee count and annual turnover. This finding dispenses withthe popular view that only small organisations can be entrepreneurial. The study furthermoreconfirms the view that older organisations could be less intrapreneurial. The study finds thatyounger organisations tend to be more proactive in their approach in the areas of newtechniques, competitive posture, risk-taking propensity and environmental boldness, as wellas in respect of decisions to exploit opportunity.The study also indicates significant correlation between organisations' share Beta coefficientand two of the three key factors that comprise intrapreneurship. This confirms the notion thatintrapreneurial organisations could be more prone than their counterparts, to volatile marketmovements of their shares. The study does not propose a definitive model, but presents a practical model that can beimplemented - a model that could improve organisations' results, specifically in the area offinancial performance.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University