Developing intrapreneurship as a career perspective for senior professionals : towards an innovative HRM and career management approach

How can intrapreneurship, being a stimulant for innovation, serve as a perspective for employees in later career stages? Career development in later stages is hardly studied in combination with intrapreneurship and vice versa. Intrapreneurship, also referred to in this article as internal entrepreneurship, is described in entrepreneurship studies as a role or approached as a set of activities, as a process, with behavioural and attitudinal aspects. In HRM or career management theory, however, the phenomenon is hardly mentioned. A reason for that may be that it is quite an intangible phenomenon, not recognised as a profession, vocation, function or job, the common terms in these specific domains. Internal entrepreneurship can be a clear option for HR development or personal career development when it is termed as a role or specific set of competences. Active career development or career management is often considered and propagated as a rational and well planned process based on conscious decisions. But career choices and decisions are in fact grounded on affective reasons and unconscious layers of the mind. Planning a career, specially on the long term, seems to make not to much sense in our rapid changing world. In this study it is assumed that under specific conditions an intrapreneurial perspective can be constructed in later career stages. A passionate entrepreneurial drive is considered as the key-factor on individual level to create this perspective. Answers to a set of research questions are found based on a mixed and multi method approach. Qualitative interviews and simulations applied in field experiments are the main methods. The objectives of the study are the design of a theoretical model and an innovative tool for HRM practice for the development of intrapreneurship in later stages. This paper presents the outline of a study in progress and the results of a pilot study. The latter provides a 12 element description of the intrapreneurship phenomenon, both on individual and organizational level; it contains opinions and experiences of experts out of practice. This description in combination with a literature review makes clear that an innovative career management approach is needed for the development of internal entrepreneurship in later stages. An approach characterised by a pro age attitude, dialogue between employer and employee, that makes it possible to reveal unaware and unconscious aspects of intrapreneurial talents and motivation.