One would think that resource-rich organizations are able to foster new ideas better than poor, cash-constrained startups.
However, it is remarkably difficult to innovate within a large health system on an ad hoc basis, for the same reason that it is difficult to innovate in a large corporation. For one, it’s all too easy to feel like a cog in a large machine. Fear of failure, perceived lack of reward, and a paucity of institutional support are other reasons why innovation stagnates in otherwise resource-rich organizations.
But little-fish-big-pond problems are not the only ones that plague innovation. This phenomenon is well-recognized as part of the key reasons why disruptive innovations are notoriously difficult to launch from within a corporation.
If you feel this way, you may be an “intrapreneur.”