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Three chronological steps toward encouraging intrapreneurship: Lessons from the Wehkamp case

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  • Deprez, Jana
  • Leroy, Hannes
  • Euwema, Martin

Abstract

In today’s turbulent business environment, innovation and organizational renewal are key. Employees are encouraged to act as intrapreneurs (entrepreneurs within their employing unit or organization) and instigate change from the bottom up. However, accomplishing this company wide is highly challenging. In this article, we examine the case of Wehkamp, a Dutch e-tailer that overcame these challenges and succeeded in creating a flourishing climate for intrapreneurship. We describe the three-step chronological process for intensive change wherein the initiatives of some intrapreneurs can produce widely held organizational value for intrapreneurship. Key to this change process are three insights: (1) Team leaders can feed the incremental and radical initiative of the few; (2) top management can give meaning and guard fairness to stimulate overall intrapreneurship; and (3) corporate entrepreneurship can be used to continuously revive widespread intrapreneurship. Organizations seeking to encourage intrapreneurship from their employees can benefit from these guidelines.

Suggested Citation

  • Deprez, Jana & Leroy, Hannes & Euwema, Martin, 2018. "Three chronological steps toward encouraging intrapreneurship: Lessons from the Wehkamp case," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 61(1), pages 135-145.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:61:y:2018:i:1:p:135-145
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2017.09.013
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    Cited by:

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    2. Poduška, Zoran & Nedeljković, Jelena & Nonić, Dragan & Ratknić, Tatjana & Ratknić, Mihailo & Živojinović, Ivana, 2020. "Intrapreneurial climate as momentum for fostering employee innovativeness in public forest enterprises," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    3. Esthela Galván-Vela & Eduardo Arango Herrera & Deisy Milena Sorzano Rodríguez & Rafael Ravina-Ripoll, 2021. "State-of-the-Art Analysis of Intrapreneurship: A Review of the Theoretical Construct and Its Bibliometrics," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-16, April.
    4. Afris Widya-Hasuti & Abbas Mardani & Dalia Streimikiene & Ali Sharifara & Fausto Cavallaro, 2018. "The Role of Process Innovation between Firm-Specific Capabilities and Sustainable Innovation in SMEs: Empirical Evidence from Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-26, June.
    5. Niemann, Christoph Constantin & Mai, Robert & Dickel, Petra, 2022. "Nurture or nature? How organizational and individual factors drive corporate entrepreneurial projects," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 155-169.
    6. Ruud Gerards & Sanne Wetten & Cecile Sambeek, 2021. "New ways of working and intrapreneurial behaviour: the mediating role of transformational leadership and social interaction," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(7), pages 2075-2110, October.
    7. Etienne Thenoz & Solène Juteau & Frantz Rowe, 2024. "E-commerce transformation: A literature review from an institutional and organizational perspective," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 34(1), pages 1-20, December.
    8. Jeanette Engzell, 2023. "Beyond the stereotype of an intrapreneur: an exploratory study of different intrapreneurs and various corporate conditions," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(8), pages 1-24, August.

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