Intrapreneurship and Innovation

Although the term entrepreneurship is usually associated with new ventures and organizational start-ups, it is also used to represent an important function within existing organizations (Stevenson & Jarillo, 1990). Before entrepreneurship emerged as a distinct research domain, strategy scholars Miles and Snow (1978) noted that the “entrepreneurial problem” faced by many going concerns was to address the basic question of what new directions a firm should consider and what new businesses it should enter. The answer to this question helped determine the firm’s domain and guided its product-market relationships and resource deployments. Such efforts are essential because they propel firms forward by providing new opportunities for growth and development. Thus, corporate entrepreneurship (Guth & Ginsberg, 1990) and internal corporate venturing (Burgelman, 1983) represent important strategic activities within the context of existing firms.