The Fall 2006 Prince
Entrepreneurial
Seminar is unusual because few students in the class have expressed
strong interest in becoming
entrepreneurs.
For that reason, and because our Nov. 21 speaker, Stephen Cunliffe,
will be speaking about "intrapreneurism," this paper assignment asks
you to explore your interest in and capacity for being an intrapreneur
vs. an entrepreneur.
The assignment is to write a 3-4 page
paper on intrepreneurism vs. entrepreneurism, especially as relates to
your own future.
First, what is an intrapreneur? You can find ample information of the
Web about intrapreneurs. You are also
required to use at least one source from a library
database, such as ABI Inform or Lexis-Nexis. Feel free also
to bring in points from the EMyth Revisited and the speakers we've had
in class.
- Can organizations successfully innovate without
intrapreneurs?
- Does success in entrepreneurial ventures predict
intrapreneurial success?
- What corporations tend to be supportive of intrepreneurial
types who seek to innovate? How are intrapreneurs rewarded?
- Does the average corporation employ a large number of
intrapreneurs, or do there tend to be only handfuls of intrapreneurs?
- What are some of the major differences between
intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs?
- What can organizations do to cultivate an intrapreneurial
spirit in their employees? What kind of climate fosters innovation?
- How difficult is it for a mature organization to rekindle
business growth and innovation given its established culture?
<>- It has been said that intrapreneurs are equally
intuitive and analytical. If that's the case, can you see yourself
thriving as an intrapreneur.
- What does it take to succeed as an intrapraneur? What are
the key characteristics? How do you stack up?
- How risk-averse or risk-tolerant are intrapreneurs? How
does your own risk tolerance align with that of most intrapreneurs?
- Consider how an intrapraneurial spirit might help you
advance your career? The opening line of a Harvard Business School
article on the subject says: "Your company is forming an
intrapreneurial venture and has asked you to join the start-up team. Is
this a career pick-me-up or occupational suicide?" Your opinion? How
damaging to one's career is it if the venture fails?
- How can the aspiring intrapreneur gain buy-in from senior
management?
- Some authors say the startup product brought forth by the
intrapreneur should be in line with the organization's core product,
while others say the product should be different from the company's
traditional business. Your opinion?
- Does a new venture have a better chance of success when
backed up by an organizational parent rather than implemented as an
entrepreneurial startup?
- Do you agree that intrapreneurship opportunities increase
when organizations seek to generate revenue?
Because I will be out of town
on the due date for this paper, it should be e-mailed or digitally
dropped to me.
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