Critical events for Swedish entrepreneurs in entrepreneurial spin-offs

Abstract

Abstract Large firms try to bring about a creative climate by using measures intended to stimulate entrepreneurship. One approach used to create such an entrepreneurial organization is to imitate the organization found in small companies. Large firms sometimes try to develop entrepreneurship in established organizations, i.e. to increase the motivation to perform within the framework of the organization. Large firms occasionally also try to identify those employees in the firm who are really entrepreneurs, in order to make use of their constructive power. The entrepreneur is best taken care of under specific circumstances, whereas measures to increase the motivation to perform generally have a wider field of application. However, little is known about which employees are entrepreneurs and how they should be motivated. They often fit badly into the established pattern of the company, getting tired of what they regard as the bureaucracy of a big company, quitting and starting a company of their own. Doing so, they often take with them knowledge or product ideas from the old company. By investigating how creative employees regard their situation, why they leave a company and also how they carry into effect a firm of their own, one can study critical events that eventually lead to an entrepreneurial spinoff, whether it succeeds or fails. This paper presents a study, which will — in a normative way — also form the basis for identification of the entrepreneur and how to make the right use of him, and perhaps keep him within the company.