Page 166 - Grow from Within Mastering Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Which Model Is Right for You? 153

business unit funds rather than corporate-level funds. In the
case of Baxter, funding for early project conceptualization and
development was centralized, but business units were respon-
sible for regulatory compliance, which arises in later stages.
In sum, an Enabler Model is called for when business units
are weak relative to the corporate core, with potential entre-
preneurial business builders lacking sufficient support or exec-
utive champions inside their business units. An Advocate
Model can be best when business units are strong and have
growth opportunities that are relatively close to their core or
for white-space opportunities when there is relatively poor
interaction and coordination across business units. The Pro-
ducer Model is usually employed when business units are
strong, to overcome silos, or when there is turbulence or high
entry barriers in existing or targeting markets, requiring a
tightly coordinated and consistently resourced approach.

Getting Started: Commitment,
Socialization, and Resources

Commitment, socialization, and resources are the first concrete
actions toward building a corporate entrepreneurship capabil-
ity. However, in reality, top-level commitment to goals is a crit-
ical aspect of the context in which a corporate entrepreneurship
effort operates and therefore must be considered in its design.
A corporate entrepreneurship effort that is given close top exec-
utive attention, backed up by prompt and decisive action, may
be freer to experiment with riskier approaches than one that
enjoys less direct or intensive top executive support. A corpo-
rate entrepreneurship effort that enjoys a strong imprimatur
from the CEO will have an easier time bringing in top people,
both internally and externally, building out and applying