Conceptualizing Corporate Entrepreneurship Strategy

TLDR

Corporate entrepreneurship (CE) knowledge is growing but remains fragmented and non‑cumulative. The authors propose CE strategy as a focal point to integrate and synthesize key elements within CE’s intellectual domain. Their CE strategy model includes antecedents (individual entrepreneurial cognitions and environmental conditions), elements (top‑management vision, supportive architectures, generic entrepreneurial processes), and outcomes (competitive capability and strategic repositioning). The model advances CE literature by distinguishing itself from prior models and outlining future research challenges.

Abstract

Our knowledge of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) continues to expand. However, this knowledge remains quite fragmented and non–cumulative. Herein, we conceptualize CE strategy as a useful focal point for integrating and synthesizing key elements within CE's intellectual domain. The components of our CE strategy model include (1) the antecedents of CE strategy (i.e., individual entrepreneurial cognitions of the organization's members and external environmental conditions that invite entrepreneurial activity), (2) the elements of CE strategy (i.e., top management's entrepreneurial strategic vision for the firm, organizational architectures that encourage entrepreneurial processes and behavior, and the generic forms of entrepreneurial process that are reflected in entrepreneurial behavior), and (3) the outcomes of CE strategy (i.e., organizational outcomes resulting from entrepreneurial actions, including the development of competitive capability and strategic repositioning). We discuss how our model contributes to the CE literature, distinguish our model from prior models, and identify challenges future CE research should address.