IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/entthe/v46y2022i5p1423-1439.html

Intrapreneurship: Productive and Non-Productive

Author

Listed:
  • Niklas Elert
  • Mikael Stenkula

Abstract

Researchers increasingly recognize that entrepreneurial employees, intrapreneurs, play a critical role in innovation. As with regular entrepreneurship, however, the value of intrapreneurial activity depends on the firm-specific and societal reward structures that intrapreneurs face. Ideally, these rules of the game are such that they reward intrapreneurship that is beneficial for the firm and the economy. When this is not the case, intrapreneurship can be beneficial for the firm but not for society, damaging for the firm yet beneficial for society, or downright non-productive. We offer a taxonomy describing how society’s rules and firm rules interact to produce different intrapreneurial outcomes.

Suggested Citation

  • Niklas Elert & Mikael Stenkula, 2022. "Intrapreneurship: Productive and Non-Productive," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 46(5), pages 1423-1439, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:46:y:2022:i:5:p:1423-1439
    DOI: 10.1177/1042258720964181
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1042258720964181
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1042258720964181?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy B. Folta & Frédéric Delmar & Karl Wennberg, 2010. "Hybrid Entrepreneurship," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(2), pages 253-269, February.
    2. Erik Stam, 2013. "Knowledge and entrepreneurial employees: a country-level analysis," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 887-898, December.
    3. Antoncic, Bostjan & Hisrich, Robert D., 2001. "Intrapreneurship: Construct refinement and cross-cultural validation," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 495-527, September.
    4. Hornsby, Jeffrey S. & Kuratko, Donald F. & Zahra, Shaker A., 2002. "Middle managers' perception of the internal environment for corporate entrepreneurship: assessing a measurement scale," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 253-273, May.
    5. Peter J Boettke & Christopher J Coyne, 2003. "Entrepreneurship And Development: Cause Or Consequence?," Advances in Austrian Economics, in: Austrian Economics and Entrepreneurial Studies, pages 67-87, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    6. Graham, John R. & Harvey, Campbell R. & Rajgopal, Shiva, 2005. "The economic implications of corporate financial reporting," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-3), pages 3-73, December.
    7. Jasjit Singh & Ajay Agrawal, 2011. "Recruiting for Ideas: How Firms Exploit the Prior Inventions of New Hires," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 57(1), pages 129-150, January.
    8. Leeson, Peter T. & Boettke, Peter J., 2009. "Two-tiered entrepreneurship and economic development," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 252-259, September.
    9. Kevin M. Murphy & Andrei Shleifer & Robert W. Vishny, 1991. "The Allocation of Talent: Implications for Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(2), pages 503-530.
    10. Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson & Mikael Stenkula, 2017. "Institutional Reform for Innovation and Entrepreneurship," SpringerBriefs in Economics, Springer, number 978-3-319-55092-3, April.
    11. Foss, Nicolai J. & Klein, Peter G., 2015. "Introduction to a forum on the judgment-based approach to entrepreneurship: accomplishments, challenges, new directions," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 11(3), pages 585-599, September.
    12. Oliver E. Williamson, 2000. "The New Institutional Economics: Taking Stock, Looking Ahead," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(3), pages 595-613, September.
    13. William J. Baumol, 2013. "The Microtheory of Innovative Entrepreneurship," Journal of Economic Sociology, National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 14(3), pages 96-108.
    14. Xuan Tian & Tracy Yue Wang, 2014. "Tolerance for Failure and Corporate Innovation," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(1), pages 211-255, January.
    15. Klepper, Steven & Thompson, Peter, 2010. "Disagreements and intra-industry spinoffs," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 28(5), pages 526-538, September.
    16. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus & Stenkula, Mikael, 2017. "Institutional Reform for Innovation and Entrepreneurship: An Agenda for Europe," Working Paper Series 1150, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 16 Feb 2017.
    17. Acemoglu, Daron, 1995. "Reward structures and the allocation of talent," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 17-33, January.
    18. Elert, Niklas & Stam, Erik & Stenkula, Mikael, 2019. "Intrapreneurship and Trust," Working Paper Series 1280, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    19. Viktor Vanberg, 1992. "Organizations as constitutional systems," Constitutional Political Economy, Springer, vol. 3(2), pages 223-253, March.
    20. Dan Johansson, 2010. "The theory of the experimentally organized economy and competence blocs: an introduction," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 185-201, April.
    21. Wennekers, Sander & Thurik, Roy, 1999. "Linking Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 27-55, August.
    22. Leyden, Dennis Patrick & Link, Albert N., 2015. "Public Sector Entrepreneurship: U.S. Technology and Innovation Policy," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199313853.
    23. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus, 2017. "Entrepreneurship and Institutions: A Bidirectional Relationship," Working Paper Series 1153, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 05 May 2017.
    24. Sobel, Russell S., 2008. "Testing Baumol: Institutional quality and the productivity of entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 641-655, November.
    25. Christopher Coyne & Russell Sobel & John Dove, 2010. "The non-productive entrepreneurial process," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 23(4), pages 333-346, December.
    26. Etzioni, Amitai, 1987. "Entrepreneurship, adaptation and legitimation : A macro-behavioral perspective," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 175-189, June.
    27. Concepción Román & Emilio Congregado & José Millán, 2011. "Dependent self-employment as a way to evade employment protection legislation," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 37(3), pages 363-392, October.
    28. Sameeksha Desai & Zoltan J. Acs, 2007. "A Theory of Destructive Entrepreneurship," Jena Economics Research Papers 2007-085, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
    29. Lucas, David S. & Fuller, Caleb S., 2017. "Entrepreneurship: Productive, unproductive, and destructive—Relative to what?," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 7(C), pages 45-49.
    30. Christopher J. Coyne & Peter T. Leeson, 2004. "The Plight of Underdeveloped Countries," Cato Journal, Cato Journal, Cato Institute, vol. 24(3), pages 235-249, Fall.
    31. Peter J Boettke & Christopher J Coyne & Roger Koppl & Jack Birner & Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard, 2003. "Entrepreneurship And Development: Cause Or Consequence?," Advances in Austrian Economics, in: Austrian Economics and Entrepreneurial Studies, pages 67-87, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    32. Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson, 2016. "Evasive entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 95-113, June.
    33. Fosfuri, Andrea & Rønde, Thomas, 2009. "Leveraging resistance to change and the skunk works model of innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 72(1), pages 274-289, October.
    34. Robin Douhan & Magnus Henrekson, 2010. "Entrepreneurship and second-best institutions: going beyond Baumol’s typology," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 629-643, August.
    35. Smallbone, David & Welter, Friederike, 2001. "The Distinctiveness of Entrepreneurship in Transition Economies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 16(4), pages 249-262, June.
    36. Andrea Fosfuri & Thomas Rønde, 2009. "Leveraging Resistance to Change and the Skunk Works Model of Innovation," Post-Print hal-00699208, HAL.
    37. Maria Minniti, 2008. "The Role of Government Policy on Entrepreneurial Activity: Productive, Unproductive, or Destructive?," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 32(5), pages 779-790, September.
    38. Bylund, Per L. & McCaffrey, Matthew, 2017. "A theory of entrepreneurship and institutional uncertainty," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 461-475.
    39. Diane Coyle, 2014. "GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History," Economics Books, Princeton University Press, edition 1, number 10183, December.
    40. Parker, Simon C., 2011. "Intrapreneurship or entrepreneurship?," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 19-34, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhao, Di & Wang, Hongyu & Kou, Xianliu, 2025. "Measuring true bootlegging: Conceptualization, scale development and validation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    2. Magnus Henrekson & Dan Johansson, 2025. "Neo-Schumpeterian growth theory: missing entrepreneurs results in incomplete policy advice," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 65(1), pages 407-425, June.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Elert, Niklas & Stenkula, Mikael, 2020. "Intrapreneurship: Productive, Unproductive, and Destructive," Working Paper Series 1367, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    2. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus, 2017. "Entrepreneurship and Institutions: A Bidirectional Relationship," Working Paper Series 1153, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 05 May 2017.
    3. Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson, 2021. "Entrepreneurship prompts institutional change in developing economies," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 34(1), pages 33-53, March.
    4. Magnus Henrekson & Mikael Stenkula, 2022. "William J. Baumol: Innovative Contributor to Entrepreneurship Economics," Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, in: Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology: Including a Symposium on the Work of William J. Baumol: Heterodox Inspirations and Neocla, volume 40, pages 107-131, Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
    5. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus, 2016. "Status Quo Institutions and the Benefits of Institutional Deviations," Working Paper Series 1144, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 15 Mar 2017.
    6. Robin Douhan & Magnus Henrekson, 2010. "Entrepreneurship and second-best institutions: going beyond Baumol’s typology," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 629-643, August.
    7. Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson, 2016. "Evasive entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(1), pages 95-113, June.
    8. Niklas Elert & Magnus Henrekson, 2019. "The collaborative innovation bloc: A new mission for Austrian economics," The Review of Austrian Economics, Springer;Society for the Development of Austrian Economics, vol. 32(4), pages 295-320, December.
    9. Ljunge, Martin & Stenkula, Mikael, 2021. "Fertile soil for intrapreneurship: impartial institutions and human capital," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 17(3), pages 489-508, June.
    10. Trubnikov, Dmitrii, 2021. "What entrepreneurship is really “productive”? An alternative view on Baumol's typology," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 16(C).
    11. Marek Hudik & Ondřej Dvouletý, 2026. "The allocation of entrepreneurial talent: revisiting the role of formal and informal institutions," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 66(1), pages 215-231, January.
    12. Sorgner, Alina & Wyrwich, Michael, 2022. "Calling Baumol: What telephones can tell us about the allocation of entrepreneurial talent in the face of radical institutional changes," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 37(5).
    13. Henrekson, Magnus & Sanandaji, Tino, 2011. "The interaction of entrepreneurship and institutions," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 7(1), pages 47-75, March.
    14. Alexandre Padilla & Nicolás Cachanosky, 2016. "Indirectly productive entrepreneurship," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Public Policy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 5(2), pages 161-175, August.
    15. Minniti, Maria & Naudé, Wim & Stam, Erik, 2023. "Is Productive Entrepreneurship Getting Scarcer? A Reflection on the Contemporary Relevance of Baumol's Typology," IZA Discussion Papers 16408, IZA Network @ LISER.
    16. Christopher J. Boudreaux & Daniel L. Bennett & David S. Lucas & Boris N. Nikolaev, 2023. "Taking mental models seriously: institutions, entrepreneurship, and the mediating role of socio-cognitive traits," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(2), pages 465-493, August.
    17. Lucas, David S., 2024. "The effect of regime change on entrepreneurship: A real options approach with evidence from US gubernatorial elections," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 39(4).
    18. repec:ekd:006356:6689 is not listed on IDEAS
    19. Gaies, Brahim & Vesci, Massimiliano & Crudele, Chiara & Calabrò, Andrea & Maalaoui, Adnane, 2025. "How does institutional quality influence opportunity entrepreneurship? A panel data analysis of OECD countries," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    20. Elert, Niklas & Henrekson, Magnus, 2021. "Innovative Entrepreneurship as a Collaborative Effort: An Institutional Framework," Foundations and Trends(R) in Entrepreneurship, now publishers, vol. 17(4), pages 330-435, June.
    21. Sarah R. Chase & Dean A. Shepherd & Vangelis Souitaris, 2026. "The Underbelly of Entrepreneurship: A Multilevel Perspective of Destructive Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 50(1), pages 150-191, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:entthe:v:46:y:2022:i:5:p:1423-1439. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.