The Outsiders’ Blessing:Radical innovation through corporate entrepreneurship in small-established firms

Abstract

Scholars have for long time emphasized the role of corporate entrepreneurship and the impact of radical innovations as a mean for economic development. Despite a large set of knowledge and literature, focus has mainly considered large firms or start-up firms. Small-established firms have in this context been left out, and these firms are unique in the condition they bear specific characteristics of both small and of large firms. Current paper aims to examine how this set of small-established firms pursue corporate entrepreneurship as a mean for radical innovation. Theoretical propositions argue that small firms have advantage in their entrepreneurial behavior in comparison to large firms. Present enquiry defines and evaluates corporate entrepreneurship according to the five dimensions innovativeness, pro-activeness, risk-taking, autonomy and competitive aggressiveness. Empirical evidence demonstrates through a qualitative multiple-case study that firms through the use of specific characteristics associated to small firms make use of their entrepreneurial orientation in the development of radical innovations. It appeared that risk-taking, pro-activeness and autonomy where of significance in the approach applied by the selected firms.