搜索
TheSocialIntrapreneurAFieldGuideforCorporateChangemakersYachtswomanCommunityactivisthipbuilderSurveyorArtistAnthropologistShoe-loverNuclearengineerDaughterScientistLawyerYuppieCorporatesoldierHippieForewords1FieldNotes41Introduction82OriginsofaSpecies123TheMarketEcosystem164TheFieldGuide265StrategyoftheBeaver426WisdomoftheSocialIntrapreneur527FutureExpeditions60Acknowledgements65Notes66BookwormJack-of-all-tradesExtrovertearengineerAdventurerFriendInnovatortistTheSocialIntrapreneur1ForewordSustainAbilitySustainAbility’ssecondSkollProgramreportinvestigatestheroleofthenewbreedofsocialintrapreneursworkingwithinbusiness—andassessesthepotentialforcollaborationwithsocialentrepreneurs.Don’taskforpermission,askforforgiveness.Thatisthemottoofmanysocialentre-preneurswehavecomeacross—andinsomecasesworkedwith.ButIthinkIoweourreadersapersonalwordortwoofexplanationbothonthesubjectmatterofthislatestsurveyreportandonitsunusualstyle.WhentheSkollFoundationawardedSustainAbilityathree-yeargrantin2006,thefocuswasonfield-buildinginrelationtosocialentrepreneurship.Sowhyarewenowharingoffintothecorporateworldofsocialintrapreneurs?Ourreasoningrunsasfollows.Socialentrepreneursaresomeofthemostextraordinarychangemakers(touseAshoka’sterm)intheworldtoday.1And,withseveralwinningNobelPeacePrizesandmanyothersspotlightedbyawardsfromorganizationslikeAcumen,Ashoka,EchoingGreen,EndeavorandtheSchwabandSkollfoundations,theassumptionmightbethat—iftherestofuswouldgetoutoftheway—thesepeoplewouldsavetheworld.Hardly.AsTheEconomistputitinreviewingThePowerofUnreasonablePeople,2thebooksummarizingourworkinthisfield,“Thegreatestagentsforsustainablechangeareunlikelytobe[socialentrepreneurs],interestingthoughtheyare...Theyaremuchmorelikelytobetheentirelyreasonablepeople,oftenworkingforlargecompanies,whoseewaystocreatebetterproductsorreachnewmarkets,andhavetheresourcestodoso.”3ThisisthelineofinquirythatwefurtherpursueinthissecondroundofourSkollProgram.Who,weask,arethecorporateequivalentsofsocialentrepreneurs,thepeoplewithwhomentrepreneursmightwanttoengagetobuildthehigh-potentialpartnershipswithmainstreambusinessthatfeaturedsohighintheirwish-listduringourGrowingOpportunitysurvey.4Andhowdotheyseetheparallelfieldsofsocialentrepreneurshipandintrapreneurship?Ourresearchandfindingsarepresentedinwhatfollows.TheFieldGuidestyleisbothasignalthatwedonotclaimtohavediscoveredUniversalTruthsonthebasisofourworktodate—andanefforttomakeasometimescomplexfieldmoreaccessibletoawideraudience,particularlyseniorpolicy-makersanddecision-takers.Inclosing,mypersonalthanksgotoJeffSkollandSallyOsbergandtheircolleaguesattheSkollFoundation,toMaggieBrennekeandAlexaClayatSustainAbility,whoblazedourtrailthroughthejungle,andtoRupertBassettforhelpingusturntheFieldGuideideaintowhatyouholdinyourhands.Weenjoyedthisprojectenormously—andhopethatyoufindvalueinthisreport.Anycommentswouldbemuchappreciated.JohnElkingtonFounderSustainAbilityelkington@sustainability.com2ForewordIDEOWhatdoesaninnovatorlooklike?Peopleoftenthinkofinnovatorsascrazy-hairedloners,pipe-chompingprofessorsorcharismaticentrepreneurs.Asiftheverynatureofthinkingdifferentlyrequiresinnovatorstobemaverickcharacters—outsiderseven—whoowetheirdisruptivecreativitytoalifelivedonthefringe.Thisislargelyamisconception.Trueinnovators—thesortwhoarebehindthevastmajorityofinnovationsthatimproveourliveseveryyear—breezethroughthedoorsofthegiantcorporationsoftheworldandchoosetomaketheirmarkfromwithin.Theyareintegrators,problemsolversandfacilitators.Theyarelikelytohavehonedlesscelebrated,butperhapsmorereliable,characteristicsofinnovationsuchaspoliticalsavvy,tact,teamworkandpatience.Further-more,ratherthangettingtheirwayviaforceofpersonalityorcharismaticzeal,theseinnovatorslearnhowtobringprojectstolifethroughthedeftmanipulationofthelatentintellectualandfinancialcapitalinsidetheirorganizations.InnovationcompanieslikeIDEOareinterestedinthiskindofinnovator.Wecallthemclients,ormarketingexecs,orpresidentofsuchandsuch,butrarelydowecelebratehowuniquetheseindividualsareandthecharacteristicsthatmakethemsuccessful.Whereentrepreneurschooseautonomyorcelebrity,theychoosescaleandimpact.Whereentrepreneursprefercontrol,theseindividualshavetheenviableabilitytogetthingsdonefrominsidemassivelycomplexsystems.Theyare,ofcourse,playerseverybitasimportantasentrepreneurs—butbehindthescenes.Intrapreneursarethusaspecialbreedwithrare,oftenhard-won,skills.Theirvaluetobusinessesisincalculable.Indeed,ourbusinesswouldnotexistwithoutthem.Nowthey’repoisedtobecomeevenmoresignificant.Withintheenlightenedboardroomsoftheworld,anewkindofintrapreneurialactivityisemerging:sustainabilityandinnovationhavebecomethesubjectofoverlappingdiscussionswithameasurableimpactonthebottomline.Whatwasoncecorporatesocialresponsibility(CSR)andmarketinghasbecomeR&D,andviceversa.Withthischange,anewbreedofindividualisbeingaskedtostepup:asocialintra-preneur—someonewhoiscapableofmakingapositiveimpacttotheirbusinessandfortheworld.Identifyingthechallengesfacedbythesechangeagentsandfindingwaystosupport,scale-upandaccel