The article you are about to read was originally written by Kevin Dickinson and published by Big Think on October 27, 2021 with the original title: Leaving the cult of entrepreneurship: Intrapreneurs are the true drivers of innovation . The translation of the content aims to provide a privileged view of the new economy, innovation and how different countries perceive the terms and concepts presented. Enjoy reading!
Intrapreneurs harness the spirit of entrepreneurship to innovate and find personal meaning at work, but organizations need to celebrate their efforts more.
MAIN CONSIDERATIONS
- Intrapreneurship gives creative, driven people the autonomy to succeed and organizations the innovations they need to thrive.
- However, the obsession with entrepreneurs has led many to believe that starting a business is the main way to secure a promising career.
- For those who cannot take on the financial and personal risks associated with entrepreneurship, becoming an intrapreneur can be an attractive middle path.
We are obsessed with the icon of the entrepreneur. In the US, Oprah Winfrey, Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Jack Dorsey have been deified middle east mobile number list generals and Jesus. Their life stories have become scripture. Their message translates into a gospel of entrepreneurship, proclaiming that starting a business is the way, the truth and the good life.
This belief system isn’t limited to Western cultures – though it takes different forms abroad. In its 2018-19 report, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor found that adults around the world viewed entrepreneurship as a good career choice and an indicator of high social status. The coronavirus pandemic has since reinforced these beliefs. Some even predict that the post-pandemic world will be a golden age for aspiring entrepreneurs.
Intrapreneurs and the entrepreneurial spirit
The word intrapreneur was more qualified information security in the late 1970s to describe employees who act as entrepreneurs within an established organization. Through what marketing strategist Dorie Clark calls “ entrepreneurial side ventures ,” intrapreneurs develop original solutions, processes, or products. They can then sell their ideas to higher-ups, use these innovations to drive change, and even transform entire industries.
“This path of self-directed, employee-generated innovation has historically been far more prevalent than we understood. Indeed, employees’ innovative ideas have done more to shape society than those of entrepreneurs,” he writes .
Expanding the limits
While pop culture is filled with stories of australia database directory who struck it rich, the successes of intrapreneurs often go.
“Even people who are as great innovators, like Steve Jobs, didn’t actually. Invent much of anything — but they had the vision and marketing skills to make. Existing ideas more appealing and make other people want to buy them,” writes Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic , CIO of ManpowerGroup. The flood of Apple engineers and designers whose names appear on the company’s patents bears this out.
Intrapreneurial Indolence at Kodak
As always, the middle path comes with its upsides and downsides. Intrapreneurs may be well for their efforts—witness. Kutaragi’s promotions at Sony—but they share the windfall from their efforts with their organization. And while there’s less risk, no career strategy can reduce the risk to zero. Intrapreneurs may have to sacrifice their free time to work on pet projects or risk their reputation within the organization. They also have to sell their ideas, which is a big ask in organizations where higher-ups suffer from frozen thinking .
Fostering intrapreneurs at home
The intrapreneurial path is only accessible if organizations are willing to cultivate it. By now, the financial advantages should be obvious. By funding an intrapreneur’s product, policy, or application, the organization shares in any potential profits, and because the intrapreneur is already an employee, the expense of innovation is likely to be much lower than if the company had to seek it elsewhere.