Human capital for intrapreneurship: examining the impact of formal and informal training

Purpose Intrapreneurship is to the organization what entrepreneurship is to the economy, yet much remains to be understood about the role of individuals’ human capital behind intrapreneurship. While previous research suggests that intrapreneurs can be “made”, extant research have predominantly focused on the role of formal education and training. As a result, the impact of informal training, often more prevalent in intrapreneurship, remains largely unexplored. Drawing on human capital theory (HCT), this study aims to examine the impact of various training sources on intrapreneurship. Design/methodology/approach This study employs secondary data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor across 36 countries. Hypotheses are tested using logistic regression on a sample of 2,141 observations. Findings This study finds that both formal and informal training sources matter for intrapreneurial engagement. Particularly, the findings showcase the positive impact of training provided by local business associations, past/present employers and online sources, offering novel insights into the importance of informal training. Originality/value This study is among the first attempts to examine the impact of formal and informal training simultaneously. It contributes to the ongoing conversation whether intrapreneurs are born or made, providing empirical evidence that intrapreneurial skills are indeed learnable through diverse forms of training. While formal training remains important, our findings suggest that informal training obtained outside formal education may be more prevalent. In addition, while traditionally focused on enhancing human capital to meet the expected job performance, this study extends the application of HCT by highlighting the role of training as a means toward new opportunities, namely, intrapreneurship. Practical implications are also discussed.