Multi-dimensional time and university technology commercialisation as opportunity praxis: A realist synthesis of the accumulated literature

The empirical observation that only a small minority of university patents are translated into commercialised technology, combined with the absence of systematic research on opportunity praxis provided the motivation for our research. Time constitutes a critical dimension in the unfolding of, and therefore it offers a window into, deciphering praxis. In response, we set out to develop a novel temporal framework that could be used to provide insights into the opportunity praxis of university technology commercialisation. This framework builds on the paradigmatic foundations of critical realism and is used to conduct a realist synthesis of the existing literature. Our findings support an extension of the temporal boundaries of commercialisation towards innovation, placing increasing emphasis on user-entrepreneurs and organisations. Moreover, our analysis shows that there is merit in understanding the choices they make, from a kaleidoscope of alternatives visible to them, at specific junctures. This is an important aspect of increasing the translation of university-held patents into commercialised technology

University ownership and information about the entrepreneurial opportunity in commercialisation: a systematic review and realist synthesis of the literature

It is now increasingly acknowledged that universities, despite their research capabilities and ownership of the new technical information they generate, are able to transform only a small minority of the patents they hold into innovations. In the transition from research outcome to innovation, information about the entrepreneurial opportunity is important because the outcomes of academic research are distant from the marketplace: as they have not been conceived with consideration of practical use but solely in a quest for understanding a scientific phenomenon. This underpins the rationale for our study into the information conditions regarding the entrepreneurial opportunity in the context of the prevailing property rights regime. In addressing this issue we adopt a theory-led realist synthesis approach to the conduct of a systematic literature review. Whilst we find empirical evidence supporting the conclusions of theoretical models, i.e. the strengthening role of technology transfer offices, we also point to their shortcomings. We go on to argue that significant gaps in our knowledge, and thus our ability to act, remain. In response, we advance an agenda for future research that focuses on the exploration of alternative policy actions (interventions) that draw from different paradigmatic lenses and methodological approaches

Migration, meaning(s) of place and implications for rural innovation policy

Advocates of rural innovation policy argue that understanding innovation through the eyes of local dwellers, offers an alternative to theorisations focusing on proximity and clustering. The paper furthers this agenda, suggesting that heterogeneity within rural communities, which is the outcome of differential meanings assigned to place by entrepreneurs with distinct migratory experiences, influences innovation. Specifically, it produces an innovation basis broader than expected given the effects of distance and low business densities. This supports the pursuit of diversification policies, the leveraging of knowledge resources, particularly transient and new, beyond the individual enterprise, and the engagement of diverse entrepreneurial actors in policy-development

Entrepreneurial sons, patriarchy and the Colonels' experiment in Thessaly, rural Greece

Existing studies within the field of institutional entrepreneurship explore how entrepreneurs influence change in economic institutions. This paper turns the attention of scholarly inquiry on the antecedents of deinstitutionalization and more specifically, the influence of entrepreneurship in shaping social institutions such as patriarchy. The paper draws from the findings of ethnographic work in two Greek lowland village communities during the military Dictatorship (1967–1974). Paradoxically this era associated with the spread of mechanization, cheap credit, revaluation of labour and clear means-ends relations, signalled entrepreneurial sons’ individuated dissent and activism who were now able to question the Patriarch’s authority, recognize opportunities and act as unintentional agents of deinstitutionalization. A ‘different’ model of institutional change is presented here, where politics intersects with entrepreneurs, in changing social institutions. This model discusses the external drivers of institutional atrophy and how handling dissensus (and its varieties over historical time) is instrumental in enabling institutional entrepreneurship

The restructuring of market socialism: the contribution of an 'agency' theoretical perspective

Most discussions of the development of market socialism in China adopt an ‘institutional approach’ in which socio-economic and political organizations are described as a complex set of arrangements determined by the policies and role of the Communist Party. Such institutions are often seen to be little more than passive forces responding to the imperatives and stipulations of the Party. However the character and continuing development of market socialism is far more complex than this. It is made up of inter-acting forces that are the outcome of the purposive actions of economic agents that, although created and nurtured by the Party, create tensions within the socio-economic structure and thereby shape the direction of societal change. It is these that constitute many of the defining characteristics of market socialism. There is, the tensions between the imperatives of an emerging market economy and the political imperatives of the Party. But there are others that are determined by the goals and values of a diversity of agents within both the state-owned and privately-owned sectors of the economy. For an understanding of these, we argue in this paper for the need to adopt an ‘agency approach’; that is, one that focuses upon the key roles of actors and agencies, in shaping institutional arrangements of the sort that constitute present-day market socialism. This, we argue, does not displace an ‘institutional’ theoretical perspective but compliments it thereby offers a more complete insight into the generic character of a socio-economic structure; in this case, Chinese market socialism

Factors enhancing the choice of higher resource commitment entry modes in international new ventures

The choice of entry mode in foreign markets is an important strategic decision with major consequences for the success of international new ventures (INVs). It is generally accepted that these firms choose relatively low-resource commitment entry modes to operate in foreign markets. Nevertheless, some researchers have suggested that higher resource commitment entry modes in foreign markets also seem to be competitive strategies for INVs. In this study, from a marketing/international entrepreneurship interface perspective and focusing on organizational issues, we center our attention on international market orientation as a neglected yet important factor in INVs’ choice of higher resource commitment entry modes in foreign markets. We suggest that an entrepreneurial orientation and the timing of international entry are important correlates to an international market orientation. We also suggest that the international learning effort of INVs through their international market orientation has a direct, positive impact on the resources these companies commit to their foreign markets through the use of higher resource commitment entry modes. Accordingly, the model proposes a positive effect of entrepreneurial orientation and early international entry on international market orientation which, in turn, is positively related to higher resource commitment entry modes. The hypotheses were tested on country-level data from Spain, using a structural equation model to analyze relationships between the latent variables. This study extends previous international entrepreneurship research, including insights on antecedents of international new ventures’ choice of resource commitment entry modes in foreign markets. The paper also goes further than previous international entrepreneurship research, by addressing the strategic consequences of rapid entry into foreign markets. Additionally, the results of this work encourage international entrepreneurs to look beyond the explicit value of experiential market knowledge to realize the potential value of international market orientation as an antecedent to higher resource commitment entry modes

Social Capital: A review from an ethics perspective

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ayios, A., Jeurissen, R., Manning, P. & Spence. L. J. (2014). Social capital: a review from an ethics perspective. Business Ethics: A European Review, 23(1), 108-124, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/beer.12040. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-ArchivingAbstract Social capital has as its key element the value of social relationships to generate positive outcomes, both for the key parties involved and for wider society. Some authors have noted that social capital nevertheless has a dark side. There is a moral element to such a conceptualisation, yet there is scarce discussion of ethical elements within the social capital literature. In this paper ethical theory is applied to four traditions or approaches to economic social capital: neo-capitalism; network/reputation; neo-Tocquevellian; and development. Each is considered in detail and subject to ethical analysis by the application of utilitarianism, Kantianism, justice and rights, and ethic of care. Accordingly the assumption that social capital is either value-neutral or a force for good is critiqued and a framework for understanding social capital from an ethics perspective presented

Accounting for taste? Analysing diverging public support for energy sources in Great Britain

Public acceptance of energy technologies is an important area of energy and social science research. However, few studies utilise large datasets which include spatial and temporal dimensions, as well as the demographic and attitudinal characteristics of survey respondents. In this paper, we analyse twenty-five waves of the UK Government's Energy and Climate Change Public Attitudes Tracker: a large, nationally representative dataset spanning six years (2012 - 2018). This enables unique insights into trends in public acceptance across time, space and social groups, covering eight energy sources. We find differing profiles in terms of who supports which types of energy, with a key division between support for renewable technologies on the one hand, and nuclear and fracking on the other. We also identify a growing gap between public and policymakers’ attitudes to energy technologies which we argue must be bridged to ensure a smooth rapid transition that is acceptable to all