ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the reality of Corporate Entrepreneurship, the forms it takes, the rationale behind its adoption, the benefits it brings and the issues it raises. Broadly speaking, corporate entrepreneurship refers to the development of new business ideas and opportunities within large and established corporations. The chapter suggests that Corporate Entrepreneurship is indeed broader and more complex but this first definition is sufficient to initiate the exploration. It shows that Corporate Entrepreneurship can be either a spontaneous or management-induced process. The chapter describes its benefits, explores its relation to innovation and, reviews some recurrent issues tied to its implementation. Spontaneous Corporate Entrepreneurship can be seen as a bottom-up process that complements the top-down strategic planning process and thus contributes to the strategic renewal of the firm. Corporate Entrepreneurship is also viewed as a cure to some organisational dysfunctions and ailments.
