Week 14 Reading Reflection ch. 3 and 4

1. What stood out in the reading?
I hadn't heard of the term "intrapreneurship" before, so it was interesting to learn about the infusion of entrepreneurial and large bureaucratic structures.  Companies are seeking innovative talent now more than ever, and this concept easily lets them do so.  As a result, companies are re-engineering their organizational structures and changing the way employees think as a whole.  "Ecovision" was a new concept.  I learned that this particular leadership style encourages openness and flexibility within the organization with attention to social demands that are constantly evolving.


2. Confusing aspect of the reading
Figure 4.1 "Classifying decisions using a conceptual framework" was a bit confusing following the different quadrants and layers within the inner circle.

3. What two questions would I ask the author?
Why did you say, "Today’s entrepreneurs are faced with many ethical decisions, especially during the early stages of their new ventures?"  I would think that ethical issues would constantly resurface as the business grows and evolves.  You said yourself, "continual conflict over the ethical nature of decisions is quite prevalent."
Why do you think that legal requirements typically follow behind moral standards of society?  Are businesses more proactive in addressing these moral issues of society than is the law?


4. Was the author wrong about anything?
I don't particularly agree with rule 7 in table 3.1 "Rules for an Innovative Environment."  The rule states, "expect clever bootlegging of ideas-secretly working on new ideas on company time as well as on personal time."  I think a more effective way of getting workers to be innovative while still being productive on company time is set aside actual "innovation hours" where it is the employees' tasks to think of innovative ideas for the company.  I don't think employees should be encouraged to innovate above all else because then other important business operations can become unfinished or carelessly attended to.  Also, I think personal time should be personal time...not more work time.  Having employees constantly innovate on their time away from work can backfire on in-office work time due to fatigued employees and low morale.