Abstract:
Superintending an enterprise in an adverse environment can be a daunting task. If that environment is fraught with economic vagaries such as once found in the hyperinflationary Zimbabwe it can be catastrophic. Yet, some businesses survived when others collapsed. Suffice to infer that most insurance companies in Zimbabwe, buoyed by the need to confront the vagaries of the hyperinflation such as stunted growth, at the very least and enterprise collapse at the very worst had to resort to entrepreneurial intensity for survival. The research therefore sought to explore the extent of entrepreneurial intensity in such an adverse environment. Background to the research contextualised this study to the Zimbabwean scenario. The research problem was also dissected. Research objectives and questions were subsequently advanced to guide the direction of this study. Hypotheses were also proffered. From the outset, the study sought to project entrepreneurial intensity as collaborated and corroborated by other key concepts such as corporate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial orientation. The research also explored various definitions of entrepreneurial intensity. It was noted that entrepreneurial intensity is synonymous with intensified entrepreneurial performance. Critical drivers for entrepreneurial intensity were analysed and essential determinants and antecedents of entrepreneurship were accorded space and importance. Various conceptual frameworks were also articulated to buttress the emerging arguments in the complex field of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial intensity. The models advanced then served as a beacon in navigating the complex phenomenon of entrepreneurial intensity throughout this discourse. The study also argued that entrepreneurship can be measured to gauge its intensification levels at any given point in time. Consequently, a few models were advanced to explain entrepreneurial outcomes. Therefore, data gathered on 307 respondents were subjected to various tests in an effort to discover if entrepreneurial intensity was responsible for keeping most insurance companies afloat during the hyperinflation. Ultimately, the results confirmed the presence of entrepreneurship – its nature and form in the insurance industry in hyperinflationary Zimbabwe, particularly in the years 2007-2010.
