Entrepreneurial intensity: A comparative analysis of established companies in South Africa

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is gaining recognition as an important way of attaining a sustainable competitive advantage and positive financial returns. This article compares the entrepreneurial intensity (El) of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) companies with that of listed JSE companies (excluding ICT listings). A cross-section telephone survey was conducted. The findings suggest that ICT companies are more entrepreneurial than JSE companies. Additionally, the size of a company shows no relation to El, but age is negatively correlated to El. By implication, the older the company, the less entrepreneurial it becomes. The findings suggest that organisational factors influence El and that El is industry specific. The managerial implication for companies that want to become more entrepreneurial is that they should create organisational conditions conducive to the development of corporate entrepreneurship.