After CEO Unplugged-Intrapreneurship at NUS Entrepreneurship Week

Is Intrapreneurship an oxymoron? Can one apply entrepreneurial skills within the confines of a large organization? CEO Unplugged allowed us to gain an insight into the minds of Mr Michael Yap (Deputy CEO, MDA), Mr Richard Eu (Group CEO, Eu Yan Sang International Ltd) and moderator Prof Wong Poh Kam (NUS and BAF Spectrum) and hear their thoughts on intrapreneurship.

Is Intrapreneurship an oxymoron?

Somehow we always think that entrepreneurship cannot survive within rules but Michael believes that it is actually the attitude towards challenge that is more important. An entrepreneur is one who creates value within constraints, a show of creativity. Intrapreneurs are unique entrepreneurs who innovate and create value within the constraints of large organizations.

About big organizations and startups

Both large organizations and startups have their own strengths and weaknesses. While a large organization has a whole arsenal of resources, a startup is much more constrained. But even with the availability of resources in a large organization, startup entrepreneurs may actually succeed faster because they can execute faster with their autonomy. In a large organization, a project might be approved only 6 months later, by which time, the team that had originally submitted the proposal had already split up.

Upsides and downsides

A startup entrepreneur bears all the risks, while an intrapreneur in a large organization bears just some part of the risk. In Richard’s words, “maybe you don’t get a bonus for the year, but you still have a job if the project fails, though you don’t get to be Bill Gates that way“. On the other hand, startups entrepreneurs hope to be able to capture most of the upside. No matter, be they startup entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs, people doing it just to have to have a certain amount of passion and interest to pursue that startup or project.

Intrapreneurship that worked

Google is famous for allowing employees to work on their own projects for 20% of their time, and this has resulted in many products that are out in the market today like Gmail, Google News and Adsense. On the other hand, an example of intrapreneurship that was stifled was that at Xerox. Adobe got its start because an idea its founders were working on was not received with enthusiasm at their then employer, Xerox. They then proceeded to set up Adobe Systems, now one of the most recognized companies around the world.

How to encourage intrapreneurship?

Encouraging intrapreneurship in a company is to create a culture that allows and encourages flexibility. Make an effort to hire people with those intrapreneurial attitudes. In Eu Yan Sang’s case, the country head has a lot of autonomy, akin to placing an entrepreneur there to run a business.

How would you react to a new idea that does not align with the company’s vision?

When an employee presents an idea that is not the company’s core business, you’re usually in a dilemma. If you say no, the employee will leave you if (s)he wants to see it through. If you say yes, it may not be the right thing for the company to do. But even though the idea that may not fit the company, they may still be potential money makers. What Richard suggests is to have a separate company fund for some of these ideas. Germinate these ideas and hopefully some of them can take off, and perhaps even look for outside money in the longer run.

The single thing that was done to promote intrapreneurship in their respective companies

For Richard, it’s leading by example. He is an intrapreneur in his own company, initiating projects. This way, we can more easily pass on the message of an intrapreneurial spirit to others, and build it into the culture of the company. As for Michael, it is to be open-minded, and let the idea presented in front of you bubble more. Believe that it will surprise you, and sometimes it will.

Photo from left: Michael Yap, Prof Wong Poh Kam, Richard Eu

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1. Singapore should consider Intrapreneurship rather than Entrepreneurship
2. NUS Entrepreneurship Week – Unconventional Thursday, 22 January 2009
3. NUS Entrepreneurship Week – Discover, Explore and Unleash the Entrepreneur in you!
4. Intrapreneurship in an Asian context. Possibility or Myth?
5. NUS Entrepreneurship Week – Social Enterprise Monday 19 January 2009