Some time back the Principal of one of the Business Management Institute telephoned me and asked if I cangive a Lecture on Intrapreneurship and TQM for their. final year M.B.A student and their teaching staff. I really agreed, thinking that the Word is not different from “Entrapreunership” (Pronounced as Ontrapreuner). Just to clarify I asked the principal “Is it
“Intra” or “Entra”, Madam she said “It is Intrapreunership”. I said, “Ok, ok”, Madam. It is just to be clear about the Word. Please send me the details Thank You for inviting me for the delivering the Lecture. I did not actually ask for any further clarification and show my ignorance of it. Now, my mini Research work started.
First, I went to refer for the word in Oxford Dictionary, but to my dismay, I did not find it. Then, I went to chamber’s Dictionary. The result was same. Finally, I went to my Guru, Wikianande! (Wikipedia) He gave me the explanation for it. Vow! How appropriately if fits into the Quality Circle Functioning.
The Word INTRAPRENUER is acknowledging by the American Heritage Dictionary Popular use. The Word means “Aperson (or small group of persons) with in a large corporation who (or which) take the responsibility for turning on idea into a profitable
through assertive and innovative methods is.
“Now the word Intraprenuer has come to be known as Practice down to the empowered employees level of a corporate management “This is considered as one of the motivational techniques methods, and a departure from a systems thought of as being in the remain of Entrepreneurship”.
In the case of Intrapreneurship small – group they have full control of the project, the full autonomy we can provide guidance, but not interfere. They will draw out their own plan and act on it.
The difference between Entrepreneur (for example, a small scale industry owner) and Intrapreuner is that in the form the risk taking in the results, profit or loss the decision rests with the entrepreneur (the owner). On the other hand intrepreneur word with in an organization as a part of intrapreneurship team with autonomous power – the decision making role the intrapreneurship team leader has to put up project report to the management for approval with respective repeatability, reliability, durability, and for economics of cost. One it is approved by management, it comes back to entrepreneurship team for implementation.
Dr. Juran gave six elements for TQM frame work, they are
1. Customer Focus – known who your customers are and know what the needs are.
2. Competitive Quality
3. Continuous Improvement
4. Empower people and put them into teams
5. Business process Quality Management at Macro and Micro Levels
6. Partnership with suppliers.
The ingenious and creative Japanese took a cue from Dr. Juran’s teaching at no: 4 and innovatively conceptual or various team concepts, Quality circle. The function of Quality Circles has empowered team is nothing but intrapreneurship team in action.
Quality Circles identifying problems or projects for improvement, collect data, analyze and through groups find innovative solutions resulting in productivity increase, cost reduction wastage reduction and overall making the product and service available at economic cost.
The principle of Intrapreneurship admirably fits into Quality Circle working, thus remain new conceptual name Intrapreneurship to Quality Circles.
So, everything boils down to creative thinking and conceptualization of new ideas, all aimed at continuous improvement.
Article By Mr.B.Subramaniam
Former Director, QCFI
