Forty-one years of research on intrapreneurship: important discoveries and prospective paths

Abstract

In today’s fast-changing business environment, organizations must continually innovate from within to remain competitive. Intrapreneurship—employees acting entrepreneurially inside established firms—has become a powerful mechanism for fostering renewal, creativity, and sustainable growth. Yet, despite growing interest, the field remains fragmented, with blurred boundaries between intrapreneurship, corporate entrepreneurship, and related concepts. This study offers a comprehensive bibliometric and science-mapping analysis of intrapreneurship research published between 1983 and 2025. Drawing on 660 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus, we use performance analysis and bibliographic coupling to examine influential authors, journals, institutions, and countries, while also uncovering the thematic clusters that shape the intellectual structure of the field. Nine clusters emerge, ranging from employee behavior and organizational culture to innovation, business development, and social intrapreneurship. The findings reveal a surge of research activity after 2014, with European and North American institutions leading the discourse and emerging economies—especially India—gaining visibility. Despite this growth, definitional ambiguity, theoretical fragmentation, and limited exploration of digital transformation and sustainability remain pressing challenges. This study advances intrapreneurship as a distinct research domain. For practitioners and policymakers, it highlights intrapreneurship as a strategic lever to unlock employee potential, accelerate innovation, and address societal challenges through responsible and inclusive practices.