Respondents were 60 percent less likely to break away and become founders if they were in large firms rather than in small ones. They were an additional 20 percent less likely to become entrepreneurs if they were in old firms rather than young ones. By contrast, Barnett and Dobrev found exactly the opposite pattern of effects for the founders of organizations. Founders become more likely to move on to found another firm as their organizations become larger and older. To explain this, Barnett and Dobrev point to the very different role played by an organization's founder.
Founders identify personally with their organizations.
As the organization grows and ages, the identities of the founder and the organization separate. Routines and procedures replace direct, personal control, and the organization is less the founder's own creation. Growth may provide more opportunities to innovate for managers, but growth dilutes the founder's role as primary innovator. Barnett and Dobrev conclude that whether and when one becomes an entrepreneur depends in large part on the role one occupies within the organization. How individuals will react to their situations depends on the role they occupy in an organization.