Memory Verse: “So, I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work; so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”-Nehemiah 6:3.
Bible Passage: Genesis 30:25-34.
Introduction: There are many possible situations where a potential entrepreneur does not get a chance to establish or fund his or her own business and has to work in an established organization. In this case, he/she is referred to as an ‘intrapreneur’ i.e an entrepreneur within an organization.
Intrapreneurs are usually employees within a company who are assigned to work in a special area or project and they are instructed to develop the project as an entrepreneur would. Intrapreneurs usually have the resources and capabilities of the company at their disposal. An intrapreneur is an inside entrepreneur or an entrepreneur within a large company who uses entrepreneurial skills without incurring the risk associated with those activities. They are also entrepreneurs because they do not share the typical “employer-employee” relationship with their bosses, instead, they operate just as collaborators and are treated as visionaries in the organization.
A Christian intrapreneur is, therefore, a self-motivated, proactive and action-oriented believer who takes the initiative to pursue an innovative product or service within an organization manifesting the characters of Jesus Christ.
An entrepreneur differs from an intrapreneur in that an entrepreneur enters a venture through a startup model of business and tries to establish it. This is done while taking risks of bringing together the factors of production to address a cause and making a profit out of it at the same time. An intrapreneur works within an existing organization to pursue the exploitation of business opportunities, probably because the intrapreneur does not have the required business capital, infrastructure or clear direction.
CHARACTERISTICS AND BENEFITS OF INTRAPRENEURSHIP
Intrapreneurs are self-motivated, proactive and action-oriented people who take the initiative to pursue an innovative product or service. They are able to resolve specific issues such as increasing productivity or cutting costs. They require a high level of skills namely leadership skills and thinking outside the box, directly applicable to the assignment. An intrapreneur also takes risks and drives innovation within a business to better serve the market through increased goods and services.
A successful intrapreneur is comfortable being uncomfortable while testing his or her ideas until achieving the desired results. He or she is also able to interpret trends in the marketplace and visualise how the company needs to evolve to stay ahead of its competition. He or she conducts himself in a highly ethical manner putting his personal emotions aside and acts with objectivity by doing what is right. An intrapreneur recognises and encourages others for their involvement and contributions. Intrapreneurs are constant learners.
The benefits of being an intrapreneur are numerous to both the individual and the organisation. Intrapreneurship creates an entrepreneurial environment by allowing employees to use their entrepreneurial skills for the benefit of both the company and the employee. Intrapreneurs are tasked with using the company’s resources, while entrepreneurs use their own,. It gives employees the freedom of experimentation, as well as the potential for growth within an organisation. Intrapreneurship fosters autonomy and independence while attempting to find the best resolution. For example, an intrapreneur may require an employee to research and recommend a more efficient workflow chart to a company’s brand within a target group or implement a way to benefit company culture.
It is important for employees to recognise these employees. By not promoting entrepreneurship or recognising employees who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit can be detrimental to a brand or company. Employees who encourage entrepreneurship stand to benefit because it leads to the success of the department or the company as a whole. Keeping these employees can help lead to innovation and growth. Companies that do not promote them may lose intrapreneurs to other companies, or they may end up working for themselves.
CONCLUSION: Intrrapreneurship is one step toward entrepreneurship. Intrapreneurs may use what they have learned as part of an organisation’s team to create their own company and reap the benefits of their hard work rather than letting another organisation profit from their ideas,
QUESTIONS
Who is an Intrapreneur?
What are the characteristics and benefits of entrepreneurship?
ASSIGNMENT: Mention five (5) challenges of being an intrapreneur (2×5=10Marks).
Action Point PS: If you would like to have an online course on any of the courses that you found on this blog, I will be glad to do that on an individual and corporate level, I will be thrilled to do that because I have trained several individuals and groups and they are doing well in their various fields of endeavour. Some of those that I have trained include staffs of Dangote Refinery, FCMB, Zenith Bank, New Horizons Nigeria, and Phillips Consulting among others. Please come on Whatsapp and let’s talk about your training. You can reach me on Whatsapp HERE. Please note that I will be using Microsoft Team to facilitate the training.
I know you might agree with some of the points raised in this article. You might disagree with some of the issues raised. Let me know your views about the topic discussed. We would appreciate it if you can drop your comment. Thanks in anticipation.
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