Exploring the links between entrepreneurial orientation and intrapreneurship in SMEs

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the links between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and intrapreneurship within the context of small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach This conceptual paper builds on a historical review of the two main currents of the corporate entrepreneurship literature and the distinction established by French scholars between “traditional SMEs” and “miniature large firms”. Findings The paper summarizes various findings regarding the antecedents of EO and intrapreneurship in SMEs and elaborates a series of testable propositions linking EO to intrapreneurship. Practical implications The paper posits the existence of different types of SMEs and suggests that the organizational and managerial antecedents of EO differ by type. Originality/value The paper explores the relation between intrapreneurship and EO, thus connecting two unrelated streams of literature within the field of corporate entrepreneurship.

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