Thesis (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focuses on corporate entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship. Current research on the
subject focuses on traditional theory of intrapreneurship in which the creation, structure and
focus of business ventures feature prominently. Central to an intrapreneurship inquiry
however, are the people who make up the organisation and their interaction within the
organisation through structures and processes. Many members in an organisation can initiate
and be involved in entrepreneurial activities, but the lack of autonomy and access to resources
can restrict them from doing so.
This study proposes a solution to these problems by focusing inwards into organisations and
examining ways to foster intrapreneurship. It also emphasises the influence of executive
leadership on organisational outcomes. In addition it proposes an answer to the question of
how internal structures and processes can facilitate intrapreneurship and how management's
relationship with staff can promote intrapreneurship. Through this the study adds to the
current understanding of intrapreneurship. The study examines the relationship of a proposed
intrapreneurship model to organisational performance, particularly financial performance.
Lastly it examines intrapreneurship in context.
Once an organisation behaves intrapreneurially, positive results could follow, therefore the
relationship between one of the possible results, that of improved financial performance and
intrapreneurship is researched in this study. Financial data form the basis of the calculation of
many measures of performance. Organisations, however, are generally not willing to supply
researchers with hard financial data. A possible way to overcome this problem is to measure
financial outcomes through the interpreted views of management, for example that sales increased or decreased, rather than stating the absolute value. However, this is a subjective
measure and the researcher decided to overcome this problem by concentrating the study on a
sector of the Johannesburg Stock Exchange for which published financial data is available.
The published financial data forms the basis for the calculation of an index that is used to
discriminate between better and weaker financial performance of organisations.
The study identifies nine dimensions of the construct Intrapreneurship, which were factorised
into three key factors. Two of the key factors focus externally and one internally. The final
intrapreneurship model that emerges from the study represents the organisation's
innovativeness, proactiveness, and management's influence on organisational structures,
processes and internal relations.
This model represents product lines and changes, research and development leadership, new
techniques employed in the organisation, the organisation's competitive posture and its risktaking
propensity, its environmental boldness and the decision-making style of management
in terms of external opportunities. The model also addresses internal structures and processes,
as well as relations in terms of intrapreneurial goal setting - a system that promotes,
facilitates and manages creativity and innovation. It addresses an intracapital system for
supplying resources and it facilitates communication. The model allows for staff input to
management, a degree of intrapreneurial freedom, a problem-solving culture and empowered
staff. Finally, it provides for the championing of intrapreneurs hip by management.
In the study, hypotheses are set to establish if a relationship exists between intrapreneurship
and financial performance and to examine intrapreneurship in context. The influence of organisational age, organisational size and the organisation's share Beta on intrapreneurship,
is examined. The conclusions of the study can be summarised as follows:
There is a relationship between financial performance and intrapreneurship as represented by
the key factor management. The key factor management is a significant predictor of financial
success. Organisations with higher levels of intrapreneurship are therefore more likely to be
financially successful than those organisations with lower levels of intrapreneurship. The key
factors that represent the proposed model each correlates moderately with the financial index.
The key factor added by this study to the traditional model of intrapreneurship, improve the
correlation and enrich the model.
The study confirms the view that organisations can be intrapreneurial, regardless of size,
which is measured by both employee count and annual turnover. This finding dispenses with
the popular view that only small organisations can be entrepreneurial. The study furthermore
confirms the view that older organisations could be less intrapreneurial. The study finds that
younger organisations tend to be more proactive in their approach in the areas of new
techniques, competitive posture, risk-taking propensity and environmental boldness, as well
as in respect of decisions to exploit opportunity.
The study also indicates significant correlation between organisations' share Beta coefficient
and two of the three key factors that comprise intrapreneurship. This confirms the notion that
intrapreneurial organisations could be more prone than their counterparts, to volatile market
movements of their shares. The study does not propose a definitive model, but presents a practical model that can be
implemented - a model that could improve organisations' results, specifically in the area of
financial performance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie fokus op korporatiewe entrepreneurskap of intrapreneurskap. Huidige
navorsing oor die onderwerp konsentreer op tradisionele teorieë waarin die skep,
strukturering en fokus van besigheidsondernemings prominent is. Die werklike fokus van
intrapreneurskap behoort egter die mense waaruit die organisasie bestaan, asook hulle
interaksie deur middel van strukture en prosesse in te sluit. Baie individue in organisasies kan
moontlik entrepreneuriese aktiwiteite inisieër of kan betrokke raak daarin, maar kan aan
bande gelê word deur die gebrek aan bemagtiging en deur gebrekkige toegang tot hulpbronne.
Hierdie studie het 'n oplossing vir die probleem ten doel deur organisatories na binne te
fokus, asook deur voorstelle gerig daarop om intrapreneurskap te bevorder. Die studie poog
voorts om die vraag te beantwoord hoe interne strukture en prosesse intrapreneurskap kan
fasiliteer en hoe intrapreneurskap bevorder kan word deur te fokus op die verhouding tussen
bestuur en personeel. Hierdeur word 'n bydrae gelewer ten opsigte van
intrapeneurskapsnavorsing. Die studie ondersoek ook die verwantskap tussen 'n voorgestelde
model vir intrapreneurskap en finansiële prestasie. Die studie ondersoek verder kontekstuele
intrapreneurskap.
Intrapreneurskap in 'n organisasie behoort positiewe resultate tot gevolg te hê. Die
verwantskap tussen een van die positiewe resultate, naamlik finansiële prestasie en
intrapreneurskap word daarom in die studie ondersoek. Finansiële data vorm die basis van
baie metings van organisatoriese prestasie. Dit is egter baie moeilik om spesifieke finansiële
inligting van maatskappye te bekom en daarom maak navorsers soms gebruik van uitvoerende
personeel se siening van finansiële inligting, byvoorbeeld ten opsigte van die vermeerdering of vermindering van verkope. Dit is egter 'n subjektiewe oordeel en gevolglik fokus hierdie
studie eerder op 'n sektor van die Johannesburgse Effektebeurs, omdat gepubliseerde
inligting aangaande genoteerde maatskappye geredelik beskikbaar is. Hierdie inligting word
gebruik as basis vir die berekening van 'n indeks sodat organisasies wat swakker en beter
finansieel presteer, onderskei kan word.
Die studie identifiseer nege dimensies van die konstruk Intrapreneurskap. Hierdie dimensies
is deur middel van faktoranalise gereduseer tot drie dimensies, waarvan een na binne en twee
na buite projekteer. Die finale model vir intrapreneurskap behels proaktiwiteit, innovasie, en
bestuur se invloed op stelsels, procedures en verhoudinge.
Die model verteenwoordig die uitgangspunt ten opsigte van 'n aantal produkte en die
veranderinge aan produkte, navorsing en ontwikkelingsleierskap, die organisasie se
mededingende posisionering, risiko neming, die omgewingsdurf en bestuur se
besluitnemingsprofiel ten opsigte van benutbare geleenthede. Die model verteenwoordig
verder bestuur se invloed op interne strukture en prosesse asook verhoudinge wat betrekking
het op die insluiting van intrapreneurskap in die daarstel van doelwitte en 'n stelsel wat
kreatiwiteit bevorder, fasiliteer en bestuur. Dit skep 'n sisteem van intrakapitaal wat
hulpbronne verskaf, en verteenwoordig oop en nie-territoriale kommunikasie. Die model
maak voorsiening vir personeel se insette en laat intrapreneuriese vryheid toe. Dit stel 'n
oplossingskultuur ten opsigte van probleme, asook personeelbemagtiging, voor. Laastens stel
dit voor dat bestuur die voorstanders van intrapreneurskap moet wees. In die studie word twee hipoteses daargestelom die verwantskap tussen finansiële prestasie
en intrapreneurskap, asook kontekstuele intrapreneurskap te ondersoek,. Die resultate van die
hipoteses kan as volg opgesom word:
Daar is 'n verwantskap tussen finansiële prestasie en intrapreneurskap soos voorgestel deur
die sleutelfaktor bestuur. Die sleutelfaktor bestuur is dus 'n betekenisvolle voorspeller van
finansiële prestasie. Organisasies met hoër vlakke van intrapreneurskap kan daarom moontlik
beter presteer as hulle eweknieë met laer vlakke van intrapreneurskap. Die drie sleutelfaktore
van die voorgestelde model toon elk ook 'n positiewe korrelasie met die finansiële indeks.
Die faktor wat by die tradisionele intrapreneurskapmodel gevoeg is, verbeter die korrelasie
met die indeks.
Die studie bevestig die standpunt dat die grootte van 'n organisasie, soos gemeet deur omset
en aantal werknemers, nie 'n invloed op intrapreneurskap het nie. Hierdie bevinding is in
teenstelling met die wanvoorstelling dat slegs klein organisasies intrapreneuries kan wees.
Die studie bevestig ook dat ouer organisasies waarskynlik minder intrapreneuries sal wees.
Jonger organisasies sal waarskynlik meer proaktief wees deur gebruik te maak van nuwe
tegnieke, deur mededinging, riskoneming en deur omgewingsdurf.
Die studie wys ook op die betekenisvolle korrelasie tussen organisasies se Beta (B) waarde
van hul aandele en twee van die drie sleutelfaktore waaruit intrapreneurskap bestaan. Die
gevolgtrekking is dus dat organisasies wat meer volatile relatief tot die mark is, 'n groter
skommelingstendens het wanneer hulle met die totale mark vergelyk word. Die studie probeer nie om 'n allesomvattende model vir intrapreneurskap voor te stel nie,
maar probeer eerder om 'n prakties implimenteerbare model daar te stel wat moontlik
positiewe resultate kan lewer, veral in die area van finansiële prestasie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52907 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Goosen, Christiaan Johannes |
| Contributors | De Coning, T. J., Van Der M. Smit, E., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Business Management. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 309 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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