Machine organizations are structures fine-tuned to run as integrated, regulated, and highly bureaucratic bodies. Machine organizations have the same basic characteristics: (a) their operating work is routine, (b) the greatest part of it is rather simple and repetitive, and (c) their work processes are highly standardized. In a machine organization, there is little room for intrapreneurship.
Max Weber (1864-1920) elaborated the bureaucracy theory to establish a rational basis for the organization and management of large-scale organizations. For Weber, bureaucracy meant management by the office (German Büro) or position rather than by a person or patrimonial. Weber analyzed bureaucracy as the most logical and rational structure for large organizations. Bureaucracy was not rule-encumbered inefficiency as the term connote in modern parlance and characterized machine organizations.
Many international organizations are best examples of machine organizations. Most of them were created after the World War II. Their agendas and focuses expanded tremendously in recent years. This vast expansion in mandates and responsibilities necessitate a change in organizational and management practices. These organizations can not afford to be a static one anymore and they need to evolve into agile bodies with rapid deployment capabilities and multidisciplinary experts capable of handling the wide range of global issues.
Many scholars and practitioners argued that strategic intrapreneurship is the best strategy to rationalize a machine organization. Intrapreneurship can be defined by its content, and this includes dimensions based on the Schumpeterian innovation concept, a building block of entrepreneurship. The pursuit of creative solutions to challenges confronting the organization, including the development or enhancement of old and new products and services, markets, administrative techniques and technologies for performing organizational functions, as well as changes in strategy, organizing, and dealing with competitors, may be seen as innovations in the broadest sense. The increase of intrapreneurship could be a key component to the success of this form of organizations because they operate in rapidly changing industries.
Intrapreneurs refer to intra-organizational revolutionaries or entrepreneurs within established organizations. Intrapreneurs try to challenge the status quo and fight to change the system from within. They are generally driven by their internal locus of control, reinventing companies, transforming them, pushing them up to new heights, sometimes with and most of the times without the top management support.
The management of intrapreneurship within an organization is complex for many reasons. The first reason is the nature of the organizations (machine organizations, bureaucracy, large and small organizations, etc.). Entrepreneurship is a context-dependent social process through which individuals and teams create wealth by bringing together unique packages of resources to exploit marketplace opportunities.
The second reason is the creation of a viable intrapreneurial attitude. To create a viable intrapreneurial attitude, the firm must be sensitive to the nature of its rewards system. While it is true that many intrapreneurs are more challenge-oriented, that is, the true intrapreneurs is inspired by success achieved in the face of obstacles, there comes a time when even the most selfless intrapreneurs begins to ask, “What is in this for me?”. Entrepreneurship has been described at both the individual level (Mintzberg’s standpoint) as well as the organizational level with Miller and some other scholars. Mintzberg noted that a viable rewards system is only possible if the concept of entrepreneurship is associated to the individual level.
The third reason is the paradox of corporations. Intrapreneurs set corporate innovative business models and reinvent organizations. The paradox is that intrapreneurs are not always welcomed in organizations.
Various scholars proposed 10 gateways to intrapreneurship that can make a real difference in an organization’s ability to compete. These are: (a) a culture of work force empowerment, risk-taking, and action; (b) celebrating and rewarding ideas, progress, and results; (c) free-flowing customer information and internal communication; (d) management support and engagement at all levels; (e) ongoing encouragement and promotion of risk taking and new ideas; (f) developing processes for idea generation and advancement; (g) clearly defined organizational needs, vision, and direction; (h) developing better cooperation and teamwork; (i) providing resources to support new ideas; and (j) cross training and special arrangements. These gateways can be valuable to corporate executives who need to manage entrepreneurial style in their organization.
The application of these gateways requires innovative leadership competencies. Organizations whose success depends on innovation require a leadership style totally different from the one typically used by most leaders. Whereas leaders of traditional organizations succeed on their ability to artfully manipulate their environment, innovation leadership emanates from manager’s creative initiatives, intellectual preeminence, and technical or unique expertise that is of value to each individual in the group and which translates to direct benefits for all.
Your thoughts?
190 replies on “Strategic Intrapreneurship for Machine Organizations?”
Wow, that was a very informative piece! Thank you so much for doing such a fantastic job with this, i’ll be reading regularly from now on.
Can you make the text size larger? I am having a lot of trouble reading some of this without my glasses.
Great blog! I actually love how it’s easy on my eyes and also the data are well written. I am wondering how I could be notified whenever a new post has been made. I have subscribed to your rss feed which should do the trick! Have a nice day!
I love the style of your web-site. I had a peek at your source code, hope you do not mind, to see what theme you are using. Is it it a free theme or do I have to pay for it?
I just found your blog of yahoo, and it was a great read! It is not easy to actually find useful blogs worth reading these days, thanks.
You have some honest ideas here. I done a research on the issue and discovered most peoples will agree with your blog.
Love the blog here. Nice colors. I am definitely staying tuned to this one. Hope to see more.
I’d just like to let u know how much I learnt from your blogs Bookmarked it.Hope 2 be back again for some more good stuff
I would just like to let u know how much I learnt from your website Dugg you.Hope 2 be back in the near future for some more goodies
Do you people have a facebook or myspace fan web page? I looked for for one on facebook or twitter but could not locate one, I would love to become a fan!
I enjoy the opinions on this web site, it definitely gives it that community feel!
I’d just like to tell you how much I learn from reading articles Favorited u.Hope 2 be back soon for some more good articles
You made great points there. I made a search on the topic and found most peoples will agree with your blog. You’ll be able to find chatrooms and bulletin boards dedicated to talking about the virus, how to defeat it and how to prevent yourself from getting it again.
I cherished what you might have performed right here. The layout is exquisite, your prepared information classy. Nevertheless, you could have obtained an edginess to what you are furnishing the following. Unwell totally arrive back once more for a great deal a lot more in situation you protect this up. Dont eliminate hope if not at the same time a multitude of men and women see your eye sight, know you might have gained a fan appropriate the next who valuations what you’ve received to say along using the way you have offered by yourself. Very good on you!
You always have great posts, keep it up!
Great post about this. I’m surprised to see someone so educated in the matter.
Wonderful!!! Bookmarked this page that has this striking guidance. Will come back again to see if there are any updates. You, the author, are a master. Thank you
I came across this topic on another blog and couldn’t get the gist of it, but this post makes it clearer to me now. Appreciate it!
Im not going to say what everyone else has already said, but I do want to comment on your knowledge of the topic. Youre truly well-informed. I cant believe how much of this I just wasnt aware of. Thank you for bringing more information to this topic for me. Im truly grateful and really impressed.
Amazing blog layout here. Was it hard creating a nice looking website like this?
Simply amazing post.
Thanks for this great post – I will be sure to check out your blog more often
Perhaps you should publish on the subject more often
Not too certain how I ran across this blog but glad I did find it. Think I was searching for something else on the search engines. Not sure I agree 100% with what you say, but have bookmaked and will pop back to read to see if you add any a lot more posts. Continue the good work.
Really Good Work…. You Helping People A lot One of the things that I found most interesting was the number of people who were in the course that were not psychology majors.
How often do you udpate your blog? I’m going to bookmark you as a reference.
Hey, We searched for this web site upon Bing and just wished to state just superb read. We would have to agree with it, thanks once again!
Thanks for publish pretty fine informations. Your web is amazing, I am happy by the specifics that you simply have on this blog. It exhibits how well you fully grasp this subject. Bookmarked this page, will arrive back again for a whole lot more. You, my close friend, I located just the facts I previously searched all over the place and just couldn’t come across. What an ideal internet site. Similar to this internet site your site is one particular of my new absolute favorites.I like this information proven and it has given me some sort of creativity to have success for some explanation, so preserve up the beneficial work!
Nice!! Great Ifo. Great People. Great Blog. Thank you for all the great sharing that is being done here.
You got great honest points here. I done a search on the issue and learnt most peoples will agree with your blog. Unfortunately, going to a professional for computer virus removal is a time consuming and often expensive solution.
The answers to my queries have been very easy to comprehend thanks to this blog. It is surely worth reading to assist relieve the stress I have been encountering. I recommend this for an award.
I wished to thank you for this excellent read!! I definitely enjoying every little bit of it.I have you saved as a favorite to check out new stuff you blog post.
Hi dude, you might have a fantastic website. I really like it. And I believe many men and women will really like as well. Why not try harder to optimize your website, so it will likely be less complicated to locate this website in search engine. I don’t understand how to, but I know you may do slightly tweak with your website to acquire a far better position. Several people will thanks for the good details. Wonderful work!
We love reading through your site articles, the variety of composing is actually awesome.This blog because usual had been educational, I have had to bookmark your site as well as sign up for your own feed within ifeed. Your own theme appears lovely.
gday from New Jersey! Just saw your blog. Actually read your article, I’ll forward it along! >:-o Have a good day!
That is the very first time I go to a blog with comprehensive data and no abuse. Thank you for sharing your understanding right here. Please retain update it, I feel lots of individuals will delight in your web page and say thank. Retain in your track, guys!
Hey, would you plan to submit commentary and back-links to millions of information sites immediately? Blog Comment Poster will practice it available for you. Webpage Comment Poster will improve your traffic, oneway links and earnings significantly! Seems cool? Yes, it’s cool! It is the finest automated comments publishing tool for the Net with a lot of innovative functions. Check it out!
Hi there I’m keen on your article
Make an impression on! Thank you! I continually wished to produce in my site a thing like that. Can I take element of this publish to my web site?
wonderful website lplease create far more frequently
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon. Your lender may have some programs or offerings that can be made available to you.
In truth, immediately i didn’t understand the essence. But after re-reading all at once became clear. Taking their advice is a way to not go wrong.
Is your site a custom theme? If so, who’d you have make it for you?
Hello there, I came across your blog in a new directory site of personal blogs. I dont know how your blog site came up, must have been a typo, Your website looks fantastic. Also i wanted to take your rss feed but i couldn’t. Don’t know why!!? My best regards, Tyra.
This is the very first time I check out a weblog with comprehensive information and no abuse. Thank you for sharing your information here. Please retain update it, I think a lot of people will delight in your website and say thank. Retain on your track, guys!
In search of looking for a while to get a beneficial read relevant to this one niche . Checking in Bing I finally have discovered this fabulous site. After reading this kind of review So i am lucky to enunciate that I have a great sense I discovered the very things I needed. For certain i will make certain to remember this web-site and take a visit consistently.
Yeah, I am quite interested in your site. If I were to use this website, I could earn you 200-1000 USD daily. I am willing to work on monetizing your site, on the condition that you share 50% of revenues with me. If you are interested, please send me an email. 😀
I only wanted to drop you a short note to let you know that I really enjoy your blog. Thanks! Keep on the good work
Hello, I really love your blog design. Did you make the template yourself?
Hello! from New York. I am a fan of your blog