| Levels and Patterns in the Intrapreneurship Model: An Exploratory Comparison |
| | Antoncic, Bostjan | Case Western Reserve U./U. of Ljubljana | bxa10@po.cwru.edu | (216)-321-2351 |
| | Intrapreneurship (entrepreneurship in existing organizations) is an important element in organizational and economic development. It can have beneficial effects on revitalization and performance of large corporations, as well as smaller firms. The intrapreneurship construct, which is composed of four distinct dimensions (new business venturing, innovativeness, self-renewal and proactiveness), is related with its predictors (environmental characteristics and organizational characteristics) and consequences (growth and performance) into a model. Previous studies in intrapreneurship have had predominantly American basis and have been concerned with patterns of relationships (coefficients of the model) as opposed to the level of intrapreneurship and the levels of other constructs (latent means) in the intrapreneurship model. This study examined both the patterns of relationships and the levels across two countries (Slovenia and the U.S.) by testing two models (the zero-means model and the latent-means model). The multi-group path analysis with structured means was used to test the hypotheses, which form the intrapreneurship model. As the findings indicate, the intrapreneurship model can be seen as relatively robust. The hypotheses postulated were mainly supported across both countries and both models. However, results may somewhat differ upon the selection of the measurement model. Differences between the two models can be expected when latent means significantly differ across samples. Because the assumption of zero or equal means can be rarely met, the latent-means model should be considered as superior to the zero-means model of intrapreneurship. |
| | Keywords: intrapreneurship; latent-means model |
| A Dynamic Perspective of Internal Fit in Corporate Venturing |
| | Thornhill, Stewart | U. of British Columbia | thornhill@phdlab.commerce.ubc.ca | (604)-822-1980 |
| | This paper explores a long-standing dilemma in corporate venture management: How closely should the corporate parent link itself with a venture? We challenge the conventional view that autonomy is best for venture growth, arguing instead that access to the parent's resources and capabilities is essential if a venture is to demonstrate competitive advantage. We identify two dimensions of fit between corporate parents and their ventures: relational and economic. Relational fit reflects organizational culture and structure, while economic fit is a function of the needs of the venture and the resources of the parent. A series of hypotheses are developed and tested with survey data from 97 Canadian corporate ventures. Success is defined as the ability to meet internal milestones on schedule. We find that the degree of fit between a corporate parent and venture does impact the success of a venture, and that success is associated with high levels of awareness, commitment, and connection. Further, the relational dimension of the parent-venture interface appears to have a greater association with venture success than does the economic dimension. Also, managers and researchers alike have often observed that growing enterprises are dynamic entities, in which the relationship between parent and venture evolves over time. We found evidence of a relationship dynamics in that ventures generally lessened their economic connections with their parents as they matured (or vice-versa) while the relational bonds remained more or less intact. |
| | Keywords: Corporate Venturing; Internal Fit; Dynamics |
| Enhancing Research on a Key Strategic Decision Making Process: A Critique of Three Approaches to Measuring Entrepreneurial Orientation |
| | Lyon, Douglas | Utah State U. | dlyon@b202.usu.edu | (435)-797-2369 |
| | G.T., Lumpkin | U. of Illinois, Chicago | tlumpkin@uic.edu | (312)-996-8285 |
| | Dess, Gregory G. | U. of Kentucky | ggdess@pop.uky.edu | (606) 257-2966 |
| | Enhancing Research on a Key Strategic Decision Making Process: A Critique of Three Approaches to Measuring Entrepreneurial Orientation |
| | Keywords: measurement methods; entrepreneurial orientaition |