This document discusses individual knowledge, corporate entrepreneurship, and learning organizations as competitive advantages. It describes how FGP International leveraged these advantages to transform from an executive placement firm for dying industries to a well-diversified professional services company. FGP encouraged knowledge sharing, innovative thinking, entrepreneurship, and a focus on customer needs. This created new business lines and services, increased productivity, and established a culture prioritizing client focus, winning, and integrity to build trust. Barriers to adopting these advantages include organizational buy-in, ego, size, and a shared understanding of necessary change.

1. The Roles of Individual Knowledge and Corporate
Entrepreneurship as Competitive Advantages
Heather Simmons Jones
MHRD 830, Dr. Bronack
Fall, 2010

2. Competitive Advantages:
Overview
Elements of a Learning Organization
Rise of Learning Organizations
What is Individual Knowledge
What is Corporate Entrepreneurship
Case Study-FGP International
Barriers for Adoption of the Concepts
Summary

3. What is a Learning Organization?
 An organization that facilitates the learning of all its
members and continuously transforms itself –Pedler,
Burgoyne, and Boydell
 An organization where people continually expand their
capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new
and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where
collective aspiration is set free, and where people are
continually learning to learn together-Senge

4. Why a Rise in Popularity?
 Competitive Environment
The fight for survival amongst competitors to do more
with less
Rate of Change
The ability to adopt new ideas and have the flexibility to
make changes quickly
Personal Fulfillment
The desire to keep employees engaged and fulfilled
Demand for Creativity and Innovation
The need for new products and services to support an ever-
changing world

5. Individual Knowledge:
What and Why
What:
An individual’s intellectual capital
Expertise of the individual within the organization
Example: Senior-level accountant
Why:
Maximize the potential of the individuals and the
company in order to achieve ever-changing objectives
People transfer information more readily “in” than
“between” organizations
The ability to transfer knowledge across an organization
quickly

6. Corporate Entrepreneurship:
What and Why
What:
The process whereby an individual or group of individuals, in
association with an existing organization, create a new
organization or instigate renewal or innovation within that
organization-Sharma
A “big-bet” as outlined by Porter
Why:
Means of accumulating, converting and leveraging resources
for competitive purposes
Developing and using product, process, and administrative
innovations to rejuvenate and redefine the firm and its
markets or industries

7. Case Study:
FGP International
Then Now
1982-Began with Executive
Placement in Textiles and
Apparel
Added Information
Technology
Only Recruited Senior and
Middle Management
Dying Industry Sectors
Little Diversification in
Company
Executive Placement in
Engineering, Finance,
Accounting, HR, Sales,
Marketing, Non-profit, and
Healthcare
Added Temporary Staffing
Added Outplacement and
Transition
Added HR Consulting
Well Diversified Company

8. FGP International:
Individual Knowledge and Corporate Entrepreneurship as
Competitive Advantages
Create the combination of culture and climate that
maximizes organizational learning on how to create
superior customer value in dynamic and turbulent
markets-DeGeus and Dickson
Mission to Mars
Transferred individual knowledge from tenured
employees and heard feedback from employees joining
the team from other industry sectors
Surveyed client needs and received feedback
Looked at competition and opportunities for new
products and services

9. FGP International:
Individual Knowledge and Corporate Entrepreneurship as
Competitive Advantages
Mission to Mars, contd.
Encouraged employees to think innovatively and
establish new business lines and niche focuses
Rewarded employees for creative approaches to
increased productivity
Asked the team to be externally focused at all times
Encouraged employees to take “big-bets” with support

10. FGP International:
Individual Knowledge and Corporate Entrepreneurship as
Competitive Advantages
Establishment of Core Values
1. Dedicated client focus
2. Possess an entrepreneurial spirit
3. Live with a passion for winning
4. Build authentic relationships
5. Create opportunity and financial wealth
6. Consistently show integrity…to build client trust
 Encourage use of “individual knowledge and corporate
entrepreneurship” as competitive advantages
 “Exceed customer expectations by providing value”
identified as third competitive advantage at FGP

11. Barriers for moving towards a Learning Organization
where Competitive Advantages Thrive
Egos and hierarchy must be laid aside
Size of organization is important
Managers must become dissatisfied with mediocrity
Has to possess organizational buy-in in order to work
Champions must feel supported by management
Shared understanding of change by all parties
Broad consensus amongst all levels

12. Summary
Organizations are well-served by moving to a learning
organization
Organizations benefit from identifying their competitive
advantages
Deeper research and study should be given to the
empirical data that shows financial gain from corporate
entrepreneurship so that leaders see a $ value to this
engagement

13. Questions
????
-Thank you