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Conference 7.286::digital

Title:	The Digital way of working

Moderator:	QUARK::LIONELON

Created:	Fri Feb 14 1986
Last Modified:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5321
Total number of notes:	139771

69.0. "Intrapreneurial groups?" by RAINBO::FLEISCHER () Thu Jan 02 1986 17:21

The word "intrapreneurial" has been coined by a management writer (Pinchot) to
describe a method of organizing small groups within much larger companies in a
way that obtains many of the benefits of small entrepreneurial businesses.
(Some of those benefits are no bureaucratic interference, a reward structure
that is more directly affected by the success of the enterprise, and faster
production times.) 

One famous "intrapreneurial" experiment was the creation of a small
semi-autonomous business within IBM with the goal of developing and marketing
a personal computer.  It was well-recognized by upper IBM management that
the traditional IBM organization was just too ponderous and self-constrained
to address a radically different market with product requirements much
different from traditional IBM products.  This organization produced and
promoted the IBM PC.

The question I have is this:  Are there any "intrapreneurial" groups within
DEC?  If so, who are they?  What are their experiences?

Bob Fleischer
Personal Computer Systems Group

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
69.1		2CHARS::SZETO		`Thu Jan 02 1986 20:57`	14
	Don't know about PCSG now (you tell us, Bob) but my impression was that Barry James Folsom's Rainbow group had much of the characteristics of an "intrapreneurial group." This had both advantages and disadvantages. Avram Miller's Professional group also was without some of the traditional constraints. However, in the case of the Pro, one might observe that that group had all the disadvantages of a small company without reaping the benefits of being part of a large company, rather than the other way around. Computer Special Systems (CSS) has traditionally been pretty entrepreneurial. --Simon
69.2		HUMAN::CONKLIN		`Thu Jan 02 1986 23:19`	3
	Dave Cutler's group in Bellevue, Washington, is such a group. When they were setup, they decided to build a low cost VAX for the real time market. This vision led to the MicroVAX program. They produced the MicroVAX I and VAX/ELN.
69.3		YIPPEE::BREICHNER		`Fri Jan 03 1986 07:10`	10
	I would consider CSS as having been quite intra.... in the past. But these days it seems that due to heavy emphasis on more "structered way of working" the pioneer spirit has faded away a bit. On the other hand intra... could lead to extremes, where people forget what company they all work for. an example: Visiting a friend at a remote DEC office, I asked him if I could use his phone to make a short call home. His reply: Sure, but would you mind using the phone in the other office, it's bill is not on my cost center ! Fred Breichner.
69.4	INTRAPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IS ALIVE AND WELL HERE!	JAWS::AUSTIN	Tom Austin @UPO - Channels Marketing	`Mon Jun 23 1986 23:14`	14
	There are a number of intrapreneurial groups inside Digital. Consider some of the following: 1. Technical Business Development, part of MFG-ENG, under Walt Dunham in the Mill. 2. New Venture Development, part of Channels Marketing. I run the New Venture Development Group. 3. Field Service New Ventures -- change of management recently and I don't recall the name of the new person responsible for the group. If anyone is interested in more info, post a request here and I'll respond.
69.5	Sounds interesting...	CIPHER::PRESCOTT		`Wed Jul 30 1986 12:07`	4
	I'm curious about New Venture Development. Does someone suggest projects you might pursue, and then you either do them or "contract" them out? Or do you respond to intrapreneurial/ entrepeneurial ideas?
69.6	:-(	JAWS::AUSTIN	Tom Austin @UPO - Channels Marketing	`Thu Jul 31 1986 09:55`	12
	Currently, Channels Marketing is retuning their organization. Until now, the New Ventures Development Group focused on (1) Marketing Digital to New Ventures outside of Digital, (2) bringing information on external entrepreneurial activities into Digital, and, (3) trying to work with internal organizations to determine what types of external entrepreneurial activities by others would benefit Digital. After the retuning of the organization, I expect these responsibilities will be 'diffused' across the organization. :-(