Entrepreneurs are seen as unmanageable

David Woods, 03 September 2008

Employers are wary of recruiting entrepreneurs because they are seen as unmanageable, maverick and unruly.

According to research by global executive search firm Cripps Sears & Partners and Kingston University Entrepreneurship Centre, business leaders do not believe their need for innovation and drive are met by entrepreneurs.

In the survey, managers cited a difference between entrepreneurs and corporate managers, describing the former as ruthless and the latter as more likely to follow company rules.

However, Dr Nick Wilson, principal lecturer in entrepreneurship at Kingston Business School, said: "Despite the negative perceptions of entrepreneurs and the wariness with which corporate managers view them, they admit that without them, business would stagnate.

"At the very least, this research calls on companies to re-evaluate how individuals with entrepreneurial capabilities might be recruited and managed in a corporate context so that companies do not run scared of innovators and risk stagnation."