While an entrepreneur is the head of everything, since it is their company, an intrapreneurs are often employees within a company who are assigned to work on a special idea or project. Their task is to develop the project like an entrepreneur would, without incurring all the risks involved with the task.
In order to achieve a task like this, an entrepreneur would have to source the resources and capabilities from outside, whether that includes getting a business loan, getting investors, or hiring staff and purchasing resources. An intrapreneur, on the other hand, has the resources and capabilities of the company who they work for at their disposal.
However, an intrapreneur must also respond and reply to the higher ups in their company, hence they don’t have the complete and total freedom that entrepreneurs usually enjoy. They do have job security, which the entrepreneurs lack.
Comparison between Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs:
Entrepreneurs | Intrapreneurs | |
Category | Business | Business |
Description | Entrepreneur runs a small business and assumes all the risk and reward of a given business venture, idea, or good or service offered for sale | Intrapreneurship is the act of behaving like an entrepreneur while working within a large organization. |
Seen as | Entrepreneur is commonly seen as a business leader and innovator of new ideas and business processes | An Intrapreneur is also commonly seen as a business leader and innovator of new ideas and business processes |
Independence | Independent, runs own business | Works for a company or another person |
Resources | Has to source the resources and capabilities from outside, whether that includes getting a business loan, getting investors, or hiring staff and purchasing resources. | Has the resources and capabilities of the company who they work for at their disposal. |
Tasks | Has to deal everything, no matter how small or how large | Has a much broader vision for an established company. Must deal with only the big things, there are other’s to handle the small stuff. |
Freedom | Has freedom and autonomy. Need not report to anyone unless has investors. | Has the freedom and autonomy for professional growth, but may have to report to whoever hired them. |
Reference: Wikipedia (Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs), Investopedia (Entrepreneurs and Intrapreneurs), Our Knowledge, AFCE Image Courtesy: dotcomplicated.co, forbes.com
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