Intrapreneurship Success - Case Study Intro - Pr1me Computer Success Story

Introduction of the Intrapreneurial creation andComputer, Inc. This principally quantitative
impact of PR1ME Leasing Divisionresearch documents the intrapreneurial creativity
The underlying concepts and ideas ofto create PR1ME Leasing, which helped to shorten
Intrapreneuring or intrapreneurship have beenthe "super-minicomputer" sales cycle, increase
present in many corporations in the United States,profits on individual computer sales transactions,
and around the world, for many decades, evenincrease sales, and provide tax shelters to its
before the term was used in the mid 1980's.parent corporation. PR1ME Leasing helped it's
Pinchot (1985) made the term well known in hisparent company to grow more rapidly and
book entitled "Intrapreneuring." Steve Jobs, Apples'profitably, and was one of the key accelerants
Chairman then and now, used the word, or term,boosting it's parent company, PRIME, to be the
"Intrapreneurship" in his September 1985Number 1 performing NYSE list stock in 1980.
"Newsweek" article: "The Macintosh team wasOne of the major challenges was that the Leasing
what is commonly known as intrapreneurship-onlyDivision was under the direct control of the Vice
a few years before the term was coined - aPresident of Finance of PRIME Computer, Inc., not
group of people going, in essence, back to thethe Vice President of Sales or Marketing. Having
garage, but in a large company." Back in 1982, Dr.the commission-driven PR1ME Leasing marketing
Haller wrote his master thesis on themanagers working under the finance department,
"Intrapreneurship Success" of PR1ME Computerwhich was staffed by accountants and financial
Inc in the late 1970's and early 1980's.analysts created a philosophical paradox. This case
This the overview of Intrapreneurship Success ofstudy by one of the co-founding managers of
the corporate entrepreneurial or IntrapreneurialPR1ME Leasing is a "real world" example of an
venture within it's parent company.intrapreneurial venture in its embryonic state. It
There are now many more examples ofdetails the most salient positive and negative
successful Intrapreneurship in corporations sinceaspects of PR1ME Leasing's early growth.
this pioneering intrapreneurial adventure by a smallThis article tells the inside story of the
computer company in the late 1970's. This articleintrapreneurial creation of PR1ME Leasing, its
shares an overview of an inside, first hand, incorporate structure, and statistically documents
depth the details of the four year journey of thethe impact of the Leasing Division on the sales,
Intrapreneurship success of the creation of PRIMEprofits, and overall corporate performance it's
Leasing Division, within the rapidly growing publicparent company.
corporation.This article's author was a co-founder of Prime
The summary overview of the details of theLeasing Division, within the parent corporation,
financial and marketing impact of creating onewho used this experience and the results of his
specific captive leasing and finance subsidiary,research as valuable tools after leaving the
PR1ME™ Leasing will be shared in this articlecompany to do other Intrapreneurial ventures for
of INTRAPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS. ThisAnaconda-Ericsson Inc., Corona Data Inc. and
intrapreneurial endeavor grew the NYSE listed,Entrepreneurial ventures including co-founding, build
"super-mini" computer company, PR1ME™and then selling a technology firm, RETIX.