13th Annual International Management Conference Proceeding

intrapreneurship and gave recommendations on how small businesses revamp themselves to ensure survival
and growth. Arising from the information presented in this paper, the following conclusions can be made;
1. The survival and growth of small businesses is vital for the economy. It is therefore crucial that the
businesses work towards this realisation.
2. Factors that cause business failures are numerous and the small business owners should be on the
lookout to avoid being caught up.
3. Though start-ups in business are important, the small businesses owners need to realise that the
sustenance can only be made from a continuous self-renewal and innovativeness to seek for new
opportunities in the face of stiff competition.
4. Intrapreneurship should not just be the reserve of the business owner but should be encouraged within
all employees through recognition and incentive system.
5. The business owner/manager has a key role in encouraging intrapreneurship and being intrapreneurial.
He/She should therefore develop intrapreneurial competencies through continuous learning and selfdevelopment.
6. Intrapreneurship is closely determined the outcomes of the business venture. There are also certain
prerequisites to its development in the organisation that the business owner/manager should
institutionalise.
5.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
The Survival of Small Businesses
1. There is need to develop and train small business owners in intrapreneurship. This will guarantee
survival in the turbulent globalized market.
2. There is need to create forums where successful business people, who have been intrapreneurial, share
and mentor the upcoming business people in intrapreneurship.
3. Intrapreneurship is curtailed in small business because of fear of the ‘entrepreneurial flight’… that the
employees can move to start their own ventures and take with them the customers. It is therefore
recommended that the business owners can establish a reward system so that the intrapreneur feels
adequately compensated and safe to be creative and innovating in the organisation. For example
through gain sharing and encouraging creativity.
Recommendation for Future Research
1. There is need to study the factors that impede or discourage intrapreneurship in established small
businesses.
2. Empirical studies on cause and effect relationships of the various factors in intrapreneurship need to
be carried out. These would develop a model of intrapreneurship ain Kenya.
3. More cases and tracer studies need to be carried out on businesses that have survived beyond the 5year
threshold to bring out the role of intrapreneurship.
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