Corporate Entrepreneurship Strategy Research Articles

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Renewable Energy Field

In the context of depleting natural resources, climatic changes and consequently worldwide interest to generate energy from renewable sources, energy and non-energy companies have diversified their portfolio by investing in renewable energy. This has developed a growing interest in finding out what supports the corporate entrepreneurial behavior in the renewable energy field. With the improvement of renewable energy technologies and changes of the financial support systems, the further development of the renewable energy business strongly relies on innovation, in terms of technology and business models. The present article aims at assessing the innovation characteristics of companies that have broadened their domain of activity by investing in renewable energy, as well as to identify which organizational support factors would influence these characteristics the most. The analysis is based on a study of 30 companies that have invested in renewable energy following a corporate entrepreneurship strategy. Results suggest that management support for corporate entrepreneurship and work autonomy are the organizational factors that would support innovation in these diversifying companies the most.

What Are The Antecedents to Creating Sustainable Corporate Entrepreneurship in Thailand?

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) is broadly seen as an essential tool for competitiveness, particularly in today’s fast-paced and complex global economy. However, there is a lack of research on the CE strategies of Asian companies in response to the Asian financial and the global financial crisis in developing Asian countries. In this study, the model of CE antecedents and effects is examined for 287 Thai managers at various levels within the targeted firms’ operating in a wide variety of industries. Specifically, the impact of internal environment factors on CE and the relationship between CE and diverse firm performance aspects is mediated by process innovation. Results indicate that only three of the five antecedents to CE have primary effects on CE as well as process innovation. CE has a significant indirect effect on company performance through the mediation of process innovation. Process innovation is found to be a predictor of innovation performance and a predictor of marketing performance, which in turn affects financial outcomes. The implications of these results for both CE theory and practice are discussed. As there is a dearth of empirical research in this area, this paper makes a useful contribution by highlighting the CE initiatives of Thai companies to survive any future crises and the stiff competition present in the Asian region.
 
 Keywords: Corporate entrepreneurship (CE), process innovation, firm performance, Corporate Entrepreneurship Assessment Instrument, structural equation modeling.
 
 To cite this document: Laddawan Lekmat and John Chelliah, "What Are The Antecedents to Creating Sustainable Corporate Entrepreneurship in Thailand?", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.10, No.3, pp.181-202, 2014.
 
 Permanent link to this document:
 http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.11741

In-sourcing disruptive brands as a corporate entrepreneurship strategy

This paper highlights the infrequently discussed role of the entrepreneur as founder of disruptive brands creating new categories often in stealth-like manner. A corporate entrepreneurial response being pursued by Fortune 100 corporations’ renown for their branding prowess is posited in the paper called strategic brand venturing. Strategic brand venturing is a boundary-spanning activity whereby large firms access disruptive brands and entrepreneurial marketing know-how through equity investments in entrepreneurial brands. Comparisons are made between technology venturing and brand venturing and a conceptual model is proposed to assist in further research and practice of this inter-organizational strategy. The model borrows from prior venture capital and corporate venture capital models but caters for the exigencies of brands and entrepreneur founders. The version proposed also acknowledges the role of antecedents and the role of influential exogenous communities such as consumers and retailers. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.

In Pursuit of Corporate Entrepreneurship: How Employees Perceive the Role of Formalization and Centralization

Corporate entrepreneurship is one of the key strategies of today’s organizations in search of acquiring and sustaining competitive advantage in the global markets. Although many companies claim that entrepreneurial spirit is an inherent part of their organizational cultures, it is not common to see organizations gained competitive edge through solid corporate entrepreneurship strategies. Among many other organizational antecedents and oxymorons that have impact on the entrepreneurial profiles of the organizations, formalization and centralization stand out among other variables as key characteristics of the organizational structures. This study aims to analyze the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship, formalization and centralization. The findings of this study indicate that centralization and formalization have impact on the entrepreneurial behaviors within the companies. A sample of 273 surveys was collected from three leading companies operating in the ceramics industry.

THE EFFECT OF PRO-ENTREPRENEURSHIP ARCHITECTURE ON ORGANISATIONAL OUTCOMES

Recent years have seen considerable work at the interface between business, management, entrepreneurship and strategy and as a result, new research domains have appeared including corporate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial strategy. The purpose of this article is to understand the effect that corporate entrepreneurship strategy has on firms to revitalize, reconfigure resources and transform into firms that are ready to compete in the global economy. Empirical tests are conducted to determine to what extent elements of pro-entrepreneurship architecture are able to predict development capability, strategic repositioning, and growth based outcomes. A first-phase survey is conducted to verify the presence and strength of entrepreneurial orientation while the second phase of the study identifies elements of organizational architecture able to predict firm outcomes. The main contribution of this article is that firms resourcing and rewarding policies, as well as cultural and structural orientations, derived from a corporate entrepreneurship strategy, play a significant role in realizing desired outcomes. The study has important implications for emerging economies where growth is often the primary goal of organizations, and where corporate entrepreneurship can be critical for firm profitability and survival.

Can an old firm learn new tricks? A corporate entrepreneurship approach to organizational renewal

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) strategies are widely recommended for established firms to solve growth- and economic performance-related problems that they encounter in highly competitive business environments. However, relatively little empirical light has been shed on practical CE strategy processes and how they function in the everyday lives of organizations. The case study presented herein addresses this underexplored issue by describing how one long-established firm in dire economic circumstances renewed its strategy, as related by an interview with the company's managing director. The analysis draws on the theoretical ideas of corporate entrepreneurship models and focuses on practical activities within the strategic renewal process: What did the case firm actually do to compensate for decreasing turnover and to improve its longer-term position in the market? The findings underscore the progressive, proactive, and impermanent nature of CE strategies; further, they suggest that firms need clients and other external partners with equally ambitious business objectives in order to successfully implement their CE strategies.

The entrepreneurial perceptions of strategy makers: Constructing an exploratory path in the pursuit of radical growth

For established firms, radical growth requires experimenting with new alternatives, which can test the boundaries of management's thinking. This study proposes that entrepreneurial perceptions of the strategic situation and market environment have a direct influence on corporate entrepreneurship (CE) strategy, which is strategy that supports new business development and renewal. The results indicate that strategy makers will pursue a more explorative CE strategy in situations framed as positive, less controllable and yet knowable, and in environments perceived as munificent and dynamic. Additionally, with explorative CE strategy comes a greater investment in radical growth (i.e., new lines of business). The paper concludes with a discussion of the study's implications in regards to the relationship between interpretation and strategy and the management of attention and meaning.

Corporate Entrepreneurship and Strategy Process: A Performance Based Research on Istanbul Market

In this study, corporate entrepreneurship which is one of the most important factors of sustainable development process is investigated in the context of strategy process. Corporate entrepreneurship is related with the habits of the company about decision making processes. The decentralization of this process builds an organic structure which the workers can take initiative. This will spread the entrepreneurship process from business owners or leaders to the whole company. The effect of corporate entrepreneurship and different strategy processes on abstract and concrete performance is also examined in this study. The universe of this work is the industrial enterprises of Istanbul which are members of Istanbul Chamber of Industry. The type of the research is hypothetic research. Data collection method is survey. Sample selection method is coincidental.

Conceptualizing corporate entrepreneurship strategy

Conceptualizing corporate entrepreneurship strategy

Evolving corporate entrepreneurship strategy: technology incubation at Philips

Established firms tend to pursue incremental innovation by modifying and refining their existing products and processes rather than developing radical innovations. In the face of resistance to change and incumbent inertia, which prevent the generation of novelty, established firms have turned towards corporate entrepreneurship as a means of exploiting knowledge accumulated within its own boundaries and exploring external markets. This paper focuses on one mode of corporate entrepreneurship, corporate incubation, informed by a study of a Technology Incubator at Philips. An account of the history of the incubator traces its progress from its inception in 2002–2006 when further incubators were formed, building on this experience and focusing on lifestyle and healthcare technologies. We identify ways in which the Philips incubator represents an alternative selection environment that effectively simulated the venture capitalist model of entrepreneurial innovation.

Corporate entrepreneurship in the enterprise clusters environment—Influence of network resources and entrepreneurial orientation on firm performance

As the business environment becomes increasingly complex and dynamic, more firms begin to adopt corporate entrepreneurship strategy in pursuit of sustainable competitive advantage. Based on the network theory, this paper compares three types of resources acquisitions and argues that unique network resources are the underlying reason that entrepreneurship activities benefit from enterprise clusters. It also explores the relationship among network resources, entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and firm performance. Finally, drawing on the data of the enterprise clusters in Zhejiang Province, empirical results show that a firm’s performance is positively related to entrepreneurial orientation and network resources, which greatly increases the enhancement of EO to firm performance.

Conceptualizing corporate entrepreneurship strategy

Conceptualizing corporate entrepreneurship strategy

Corporate venturing: Insights from actual performance

Corporate innovation and the entrepreneurial strategies on which it is based are key challenges at the forefront of executive concerns. In order to establish some factual foundations amid the popular folklore which surrounds corporate innovation today, this study examines the actual factors that influence internal corporate venturing within the realm of a corporate entrepreneurship strategy. Data were collected from 145 internal corporate ventures (early-stage, middle-stage, and established-stage) operating in 72 firms headquartered in the midwestern United States. The results of this study are summarized herein and offer insights regarding some of the key correlates of corporate venturing performance.

Conceptualizing Corporate Entrepreneurship Strategy

Our knowledge of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) continues to expand. However, this knowledge remains quite fragmented and non–cumulative. Herein, we conceptualize CE strategy as a useful focal point for integrating and synthesizing key elements within CE's intellectual domain. The components of our CE strategy model include (1) the antecedents of CE strategy (i.e., individual entrepreneurial cognitions of the organization's members and external environmental conditions that invite entrepreneurial activity), (2) the elements of CE strategy (i.e., top management's entrepreneurial strategic vision for the firm, organizational architectures that encourage entrepreneurial processes and behavior, and the generic forms of entrepreneurial process that are reflected in entrepreneurial behavior), and (3) the outcomes of CE strategy (i.e., organizational outcomes resulting from entrepreneurial actions, including the development of competitive capability and strategic repositioning). We discuss how our model contributes to the CE literature, distinguish our model from prior models, and identify challenges future CE research should address.

A Study Of Corporate Entrepreneurship And Firm Performance In The Computer Industry During Two Technological Disruptions

This study presents a model of firm performance for Corporate Entrepreneurship (CE) Entry-Growth– Exit strategies categorized by focus of entrepreneurship, CE domain, and CE form. Over a longitudinal sample, this paper examines U.S. computer firm’s CE strategies and firm performance during two technological disruptions namely the introduction of personal computers and subsequently the internet. This paper shows that computer companies had superior performance by implementing CE strategies of sustained regeneration and organizational rejuvenation during growth. In addition, best performing companies survived the internet technological disruption by implementing the CE strategy of domain redefinition. This study concludes with recommendations for future research.

A health audit for corporate entrepreneurship: innovation at all levels: part II

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to introduce and discuss the “Entrepreneurial Health Audit”. This organizational tool is used to assess a firm's entrepreneurial intensity, diagnose organizational characteristics low in entrepreneurial intensity, and to create an understanding of the processes needed to foster a corporate entrepreneurship strategy as a means of improving organizational performance. This article is part two or a two‐part series.Design/methodology/approachBased on the existing literature, case studies, and the authors' own research and experiences with a diverse mix of companies, the paper develops a three‐stage “Entrepreneurial Health Audit.” Top‐level managers can use this tool to determine their firm's ability to act entrepreneurially at a point in time.FindingsThe paper describes how managers assess and improve their firm's entrepreneurial health. In the first stage, the “Entrepreneurial Intensity” instrument is used to measure the degree and frequency of entrepreneurship occurring within the firm. In the second stage, the “Corporate Entrepreneurship Climate Instrument” is used to identify why the firm has developed its current level of entrepreneurial intensity. Finally, the third stage of the “Entrepreneurial Health Audit” fosters commitment to a work environment supporting entrepreneurial behavior, thereby enhancing the degree and frequency of corporate entrepreneurship within the firm.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper raises a number of questions regarding how organizations stimulate entrepreneurial behavior and undertake organizational changes to facilitate these actions. It provides a tool top‐level managers can use across time continuously to increase their firm's ability to be entrepreneurial.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates to managers how to approach the concept of entrepreneurship within an established organization, including how to diagnose characteristics constraining the firm's entrepreneurial potential and how to build commitment encouraging entrepreneurial behaviors.Originality/valueThe paper fills an existing void between researchers and practitioners in terms of how firms can take steps to transform their current entrepreneurial potential into the “ideal” characteristics studied in entrepreneurship research. It offers a unique organizational tool to use to assess an individual firm's potential to be entrepreneurial.

A health audit for corporate entrepreneurship: innovation at all levels: part I

PurposeIdentifies issues to consider when designing a corporate entrepreneurship strategy, discuss the triggers of corporate entrepreneurship, and describe an internal work environment that supports corporate entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachBased on the extant literature, case studies, and the authors' experiences with a diverse mix of companies, the nature and importance of a corporate entrepreneurship strategy is described, together with insights into the internal and external factors that facilitate corporate entrepreneurship and a strategy used to support it.FindingsThe ability to foster high levels of entrepreneurial intensity and formulate effective corporate entrepreneurship strategy is associated with key elements of the organizational climate. Four major climate variables are assessed. Conclusions are drawn regarding the value an entrepreneurial mindset creates when used in established firms.Research implicationsRaises a number of questions regarding the role of strategic versus non‐strategic approaches to encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation in larger, established companies, as well as the relative importance of differing triggering events and various climate variables in influencing a successful corporate entrepreneurship strategy.Practical implicationsDemonstrates to managers how to strategically approach the concept of entrepreneurship within a larger organization, including how to design an internal work environment that is conducive to encouraging employees to act on their innate entrepreneurial potential.Originality/valueFulfills a missing gap in terms of how established firms can make entrepreneurship a core element of their approaches to strategic management and offers practical insights into some of the more vital factors that contribute to sustainable levels of entrepreneurship in established firms.

Research at the Marketing/Entrepreneurship Interface

This 13th volume of an international symposiumseriesthat focuses on research at the marketing/entrepreneurshipinterface includes papers that were presented at meetings held in Nice, Franceand in San Francisco, California. Table of Contents Opportunity Recognition Issues Entrepreneurial Opportunity Recognition: The Role of Creativity, Alertness,Prior Knowledge, Networks, and Formal Search, Alexander Ardishvili andRichard N. Cardozo Opportunity Formation from a Socio-Cognitive Perspective, Alice deKonig Competitive Dynamics and Opportunities for SMEs in the Virtual Marketplace,Brad Kleindl Opportunity Recognition and Breathrough Innovation in Large EstablishedFirms, Gina Colarelli O'Connor and Mark P. Rice A Model of Opportunity Recognition and Exploitation: An Empirical Study ofIncubator Firms, Richard G. Schwartz and Richard D. Teach Examining the Role of Self-Perceived Entrepreneurial Alertness to theOpportunity Recognition Process, Robert P. Singh, Gerald E. Hills, and G.T.Lumpkin How Entrepreneurs Position Themselves to Seize Opportunity and StartSuccessful Ventures, Stanley C. Abraham and James Napoli The Role of Counterfactual Thinking in the Opportunity IdentificationProcess, Connie Marie Gaglio Small Suppliers' Opportunity Assessment in the Supply Chain, Chickery J.Kasouf and Kevin G. Celuch The Marketing of Public Sector Building Services in a Changing RegulatoryFramework--Does 'Best Value' Herald a Visionary Future? John Day andPaul L. Reynolds Entrepreneurial Strategies for Market Entry: A Risk-Based Typology, JohnW. Mullins and David Forlani The Entrepreneurial Consumer: Construct Validation by Mail Survey, GlennS. Omura Entrepreneurship as a Market Requirement: The Case from Art Museums, RuthRentschler and Gus M Geursen Intrapraneurship, Joint Ventures,and Franchising Issues Corporate Commitment to Entrepreneurship through Marketing Processes: AnExploratory Study and Preliminary Results, Theodore Herbert and DeborahBrazeal New Product Innovation in an Industrial Firm, Martti Lindman Franchising vs. Company Ownership: Firm Valuation Implications, LawrenceKlatt and Joe Remsa Marketing and Corporate Entrepreneurship: Triggering the Process, MinetSchindehutte, Michael H. Harris, and Donald F. Kuratko Do Marketing Mix Factors Moderate the Corporate Entrepreneurship-BusinessPerformance Relationship? Hilton Barrett, Art Weinstein, and JosephBalloun Developing and Managing Products: What's Different about the Process forCoporations and Small, Entrepreneurial Ventures, Richard Bilodeau and JeanneMunger Joint Venture Performance: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach UsingAMOS, Louise Hatfield and Jonathan Kohn The Implementation of Corporate Entrepreneurship Strategy as New CorporateVentures: A Conceptual Framework, Neil A. Morgan, Jeffrey G. Covin, andMorgan Miles Individual Entrepreneurship, Family Businesses, Social Networks, andTechnology Issues A Qualitative Study of the Use of Networking in SMEs: A MarketingPerspective, David Carson, Audrey Gilmore, Ken Grant, Aodheen O'Donnell andDaryl Cummins Organizational Competence: Does Networking Confer Advantage for High GrowthEntrepreneurial Firms? Ian Chaston Responsiveness in Digitally Mediated Business Interaction: Conceptual Notesfrom a Marketing Perspective, Frans Prenkert A Model of Family Business Marketing Practices, George A. Tanewski,Claudio A. Romano, and Kosmas X. Smyrnios Small Firms, Innovation and Networks, Eleanor Shaw Entrepreneurs and Their Sidekicks, Ichirou Horide Arithmetic for Web Promotion: Assessing the Benefits of Advertising on theInternet, U.N. Umesh The Pursuit of New Business Opportunities: A Creative Structuring Model,Michael T. Manion, Gerald E. Hills, G.T. Lu

ANTECEDENTS, ELEMENTS, AND CONSEQUENCES OF CORPORATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP STRATEGY.

This article discusses the antecedents, elements, and consequences of corporate entrepreneurship. Corporate entrepreneurship strategy is increasingly recognized as a strategic option firms choose to pursue once triggers from the external environment denote the need for change and strategic adaptation. An entrepreneurial strategic vision represents a commitment to innovation and entrepreneurial behavior that is expressed in general terms. A pro-entrepreneurship organizational architecture is an organizational context that exhibits certain attributes that individually and collectively encourage entrepreneurial behavior. Entrepreneurial behavior is any newly fashioned set of actions through which companies seek to exploit entrepreneurial opportunities rivals have not noticed or exploited. Entrepreneurial outcomes at the individual and organizational levels result from using entrepreneurial behavior as the foundation for implementing a corporate entrepreneurship strategy. The existence of an entrepreneurial strategic vision promotes awareness throughout the firm of the general direction in which entrepreneurial initiatives and their associated behaviors should take shape. The outcomes of corporate entrepreneurship strategies have consequences for firms as well as for the future of corporate entrepreneurship strategy.

Improving firm performance through entrepreneurial actions: Acordia's corporate entrepreneurship strategy

Executive Overview As the 21st century unfolds, entrepreneurial actions are viewed as critical pathways to competitive advantage and improved performance. One company in the healthcare management Held, Acordia, Inc., developed and prospered through its strategic entrepreneurial vision. In the words of Acordia's CEO, Frank C. Witthun: “2000 was another landmark year for Acordia, with important acquisitions, innovative new products, and the foresight of sound, strategic planning fueling our impressive growth. It is our expert vision that has brought us to this point: a vision of what a brokerage firm can and should be in the new millennium, and our expertise in delivering innovative products and services to our clients in a way that not only exceeds their expectations, but fundamentally changes them.” Starting in 1986, entrepreneurial actions were instrumental to how Acordia has conducted business over the last 15 or so years. We use insights from the academic literature and business press as the framework ...