Page 107 - Grow from Within Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation

94 grow from within

tion to seeking out intrepid corporate mavericks who were
willing to work against the system, they could potentially
make new business creation a regular (if not predictable), man-
aged process.
Among the four general types of uncertainty—technical,
market, organizational, and resource—large enterprises faced
a strategic choice with the latter two. Technical and market
uncertainties would vary by the project. Dealing with a corpo-
ration’s organizational realities and resource allocation are two
factors that are under the direct control of management. These
are the cardinal management choices in the design of corpo-
rate entrepreneurship programs.

The Four Models of Corporate Entrepreneurship

Organizational and resource uncertainties are the two key
dimensions under the control of management that distinguish cor-
porate entrepreneurship approaches. We frame the organiza-
tional uncertainty issue in terms of organizational ownership:
Who, if anyone, within the firm has primary ownership of the
creation of new businesses? Responsibility and accountability
for new business creation can be focused in a designated group
or groups, or it can be diffused across the organization. We
frame the resource uncertainty issues in terms of resource
authority: Is there money dedicated in advance to corporate
entrepreneurship, or are new business concepts funded in an
ad hoc manner through divisional or corporate budgets or
“slush funds”?
Together, the two dimensions generate a matrix with four
dominant models, as depicted in Figure 3-1: the Opportunist
(diffused ownership and ad hoc resource allocation), the Enabler
(diffused ownership and dedicated resources), the Advocate