ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors provide the organisational and industry context for study of apparent inertia in low levels of corporate entrepreneurship and business stagnation within the Fire Safety business unit of the Building Technologies division of Siemens AG. They highlight the division's origins and its growth through the acquisition of the industry sector of Elektrowatt AG in 1997. The authors explore potentially different approaches and outcomes surrounding corporate entrepreneuring and provide the rationales for their inclusion. Cerberus AG was considered the world market leader in the fire safety business from the mid 1990s, in what had become a multi-billion dollar business worldwide. The SMART initiative was aimed at the launch of specific new businesses in lower-end markets as well as Asia-specific product adaptations and additions. The authors conclude by offering a short note on method, where we describe the research process and key sources of data.
