Understanding entrepreneurial academics ‐ how they perceive their environment differently

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 599-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd Davey ◽  
Victoria Galan-Muros

PurposeAcademic entrepreneurship is seen as a pathway for universities to create value from their knowledge. However, there has been a lack of clarity about what activities constitute academic entrepreneurship, the different type of entrepreneurial academics and how their perceptions of their environment relate to their engagement.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on a large data set of 10,836 responses across 33 countries, the empirical study investigates European academics who undertake four academic entrepreneurship activities (spin-out creation, commercialisation of R&D results, joint R&D and consulting) to determine if they perceive the environment for academic entrepreneurship differently than those who undertake only some of the activities and those undertaking none at all.FindingsThe findings show that less than 1% of academics undertake exclusively spin-offs creation or R&D commercialisation; however, the majority also engage in other entrepreneurial activities such as joint R&D and consulting and even other education and management engagement activities with industry. In addition, entrepreneurial academics in Europe perceive significantly higher motivators and more developed supporting mechanisms for academic entrepreneurship. However, their perceptions of barriers are similar.Practical implicationsAt a managerial and policy level, the study results call into question universities prioritising a narrow view of academic entrepreneurship which focusses only on spin-offs creation and R&D commercialisation. Instead, a broader view of academic entrepreneurship is recommended and appropriate mechanisms in place to enable academics to achieve research outcomes from their entrepreneurial activity.Originality/valueThis paper offers an important contribution on how the perception of the environment contributes to the development of entrepreneurial behaviour in individual academics.

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 102-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip T. Roundy

PurposeEntrepreneurial ecosystems, the inter-connected set of organizing forces that produce and sustain regional entrepreneurial activity, are receiving heightened attention. This research finds that narratives about ecosystem participants discursively construct entrepreneurial ecosystems. However, the studies do not emphasize ecosystem and region-level narratives, focus on ecosystems in which narratives are uncontested and, thus, do not examine how ecosystem narratives compete with other regional narratives. The purpose of this paper is to develop a theory that explains how narratives and entrepreneurial ecosystems emerge and change in response to existing regional narratives.Design/methodology/approachA longitudinal process model is proposed to explain how entrepreneurial ecosystem narratives emerge and compete with other regional narratives. To illustrate the phases of the model, archival data were collected from three entrepreneurial ecosystems where new narratives have had to overcome entrenched economic and cultural narratives.FindingsIt is theorized that entrepreneurial ecosystems emerge, in part, through discourse. For an entrepreneurial ecosystem to develop, a narrative must take hold that allows participants to make sense of the new entrepreneurial activities and the changes to the region. A four-phase process model is presented to explain how entrepreneurial ecosystem narratives compete with other regional narratives and, particularly, negative economic narratives.Originality/valueThe theory developed in this paper contributes to the research on entrepreneurial ecosystems and organizational narratives and generates practical implications for policymakers and entrepreneurs seeking to promote entrepreneurship as a tool for economic development.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 989-1007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Aslam Mia

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to measure and track the evolution of market concentration and competition in the microfinance industry in Bangladesh by employing both the structural and non-structural measurement techniques.Design/methodology/approachBy using a unique panel data set generated from the microcredit regulatory authority (MRA) annual reports, the sample includes 169 microfinance institutions (MFIs) and covers the period 2009-2014. The authors employed the Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI) and concentration ratio (CR) (largest 3, 8 and 20 MFIs) as structural measurement techniques and the Lerner index as a non-structural measurement technique. In addition, four different market indicators are used as representatives of deposit and credit markets to better explain the evolution of market concentration.FindingsThe results of HHI indicate that the sector is moderately concentrated and currently transitioning to an unconcentrated market. However, based on CR, the industry is still dominated by a few large MFIs. The Lerner index (non-structural approach) also confirmed that the level of competition is relatively high and likely to follow an inverted U-shape during the study period.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study will enhance our understanding of the market structure in the Bangladesh’s microfinance industry so as to inform important policy prescriptions. The results also provide impetus to the relatively young MRA to nurture competition in the market; simultaneously, the findings prompt management of the MFIs to cope with a competitive market environment.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first of its kind that includes a large data sample of microfinance market for a single country by employing both structural and non-structural measurement approaches.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanzhao Lai ◽  
Nicholas S. Vonortas

PurposeUniversities have become both increasingly entrepreneurial and international over the past few decades. We still, however, know little about the relationship between the two trends. This paper investigates the effect of international exposure of university faculty members on university entrepreneurial culture.Design/methodology/approachUsing a specially constructed dataset of the entrepreneurial activities of 507 computer science faculty members—among whom 138 are returnees—from 21 research-intensive universities in China during 2007–2017, the study empirically investigates the relationship between foreign experience and academic entrepreneurial activity back home. We control for characteristics of the faculty member and the location of the university.FindingsAcademic tenure overseas is found to positively affect academic entrepreneurship. The length of stay abroad also affects the relationship: returnee academics with foreign Ph.D. degrees are more likely to start new businesses than returnee academics with shorter postdoc experience overseas. The economic gap between the host (foreign) and home country (China) does not have a statistically significant effect on returnee academic entrepreneurial activity.Originality/valueTo the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to empirically investigate returnee academic entrepreneurship. It provides indications on how foreign educational background affects academics entrepreneurial activities.


Author(s):  
Manoj Chandra Bayon ◽  
Yancy Vaillant ◽  
Esteban Lafuente

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct effect of two individual-level resources, one subjective and the other objective, and their interaction in influencing the business entry decision. By distinguishing perceived ability from actual ability and using theoretical underpinnings from the human capital theory and self-efficacy theory, the proposed hypotheses are tested on a data set comprising respondents from the adult population. Design/methodology/approach – Using 20,046 observations from the adult population survey (APS) collected according to the global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM) methodology, a logistic regression analysis controlling for robust interaction term is used to determine the direct and interaction effect of perceived entrepreneurial ability and actual ability in influencing the decision to initiate nascent entrepreneurial activities. Findings – The results reveal that perceived entrepreneurial ability has a distinct positive influence on the decision to initiate entrepreneurial activities and its impact is greater than that of actual abilities. Furthermore, the authors find evidence of a positive interaction effect suggesting that perceived entrepreneurial ability is a key determinant of entrepreneurial initiatives among those with high actual ability. Originality/value – The main contribution of the study is to highlight the role of subjective judgements of ability in influencing entrepreneurial behaviour. Whereas prior research has found that actual ability influences new venture performance, its influence on new business entry was inconclusive. By including perceived entrepreneurial ability to the model the authors not only establish a link between objective (observable) abilities and subjective (unobservable) abilities of individuals but also suggest the mechanism through which subjective ability perception drive the business entry decisions of individuals.


2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 237-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gil Avnimelech ◽  
Yaron Zelekha ◽  
Eyal Sharabi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the relationship between corruption and productive entrepreneurship in general and whether it depends on countries’ specific characteristics in particular. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a unique data set of entrepreneurial activity within 176 countries, collected from the professional networking site LinkedIn. The authors used OLS regression to estimate the level of entrepreneurship. The main independent variable was the CPI score (Transparency International). In addition, two sub-samples were used, 70 less-developed countries and 34 OECD countries, and numerous control variables. Findings – The paper makes three important contributions to the field. First, it proposes worldwide empirical evidence that countries with high levels of corruption usually face low levels of productive entrepreneurship. Second, the paper suggests that the negative effect is much more significant in developed countries than in developing countries. Third, the paper explores whether the negative effect of corruption depends on country-specific economic characteristics. Research limitations/implications – While there is significant value in using LinkedIn data in entrepreneurship research, there are limitations to this database. Therefore, significant robustness tests were employed and further research, for instance using longitudinal LinkedIn data, could be valuable. Moreover, using different entrepreneurs’ data sets might increase the validation of the results. Finally, further examination of the influence of corruption on different types of entrepreneurial activities and their interaction with different characteristics of the country is still required. Originality/value – The results stress the need to fight corruption not only in developing countries and suggests significant gains from anti-corruption efforts even and maybe especially in the western developed world.


2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ali Ashraf

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the factors that affect Islamic entrepreneurial intentions. Specifically, how do prior experience, empathy, moral obligation, self-efficacy and perceived behavioral support affect entrepreneurial intentions based on Islamic principles? Design/methodology/approach To answer this question, three theoretical frameworks using the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the theory of bounded rational planned behavior (TBRPB) and the theory of social entrepreneurship as its basis were established. Using measurement scales created to assess different aspects of the constructs, a survey instrument was developed to test the various relationships implied by those frameworks. Findings The findings of the study revealed that among the five factors prior experience and self-efficacy are the most important factors to affect Islamic entrepreneurial intentions. Research limitations/implications From a research perspective, the study results establish the robustness of the TPB, TBRPB and the social entrepreneurial intention model for helping to explain Islamic entrepreneurial intention behavior. Practical implications The practical implications of these results suggest that efforts aimed at increasing Islamic entrepreneurial activity may want to consider the variables studied in this paper. Both interested policymakers and academics cherishing to encourage Islamic, as well as conventional entrepreneurial activity, can take away that Islamic entrepreneurial self-efficacy and prior experience are deemed to be the most important measures. Social implications The findings from this paper suggest that the organizations could tend to promote Islamic entrepreneurial intentions in society through a special emphasis on the antecedents discussed in this paper. Originality/value It is vital to keep in mind that the measure for Islamic entrepreneurial self-efficacy used in this study differed from the usual constructs for self-efficacy.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 791-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiferaw Muleta Eyana ◽  
Enno Masurel ◽  
Leo J. Paas

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of causation and effectuation behaviour of Ethiopian entrepreneurs on the eventual performance of their newly established small firms. It adds new knowledge and insights to advance the theory of effectuation by extending its scope into the domain of entrepreneurial behaviour and firm performance and by testing one of the operationalized scales in an African context. Design/methodology/approach This empirical research is conducted amongst Ethiopian tour operators (n=118) based on primary data from the field. The scales are based on Chandler et al. (2011), which are adapted to fit to the tourism sector and validated in an African context using a two-stage exploratory factor analysis (EFA). Hierarchical multiple regression is used to assess the ability of entrepreneurs’ behaviour (i.e. causation and effectuation) at the startup phase to predict the eventual performance of their newly established firms (self-reported changes in employment size, sales, profit and assets) over three years (January 2012-2015). Findings The findings reveal a varied effect of causation and effectuation on financial and non-financial measures. Causation is positively related to an increase in employment size, whereas the overall effect of effectuation is positively related to financial performance measures, although its dimensions vary in their effects on sales, profit and assets increase. The paper concludes that causation and effectuation have varied implications on firm performance. In other words, unlike the findings of other research in Western contexts, a strong empirical support is not found to claim that effectuation is superior to causation in outcomes such as firm performance in Ethiopian context. Research limitations/implications While this paper provides a new data set for entrepreneurship literature, its findings may lack generalisability. Not only it is industry specific (tourism sector), but also it is conducted in a single African country (Ethiopia). Despite its limitations, the paper adds new knowledge and insights for empirical studies in entrepreneurship field on the effects of entrepreneurs’ behaviour, such as causation and effectuation; on firm performance. Future research should focus on other economic sectors and in different African countries before making generalisations about the effect of causation and effectuation behaviour of African entrepreneurs on firm performance. Practical implications The findings of this paper can be used in other hospitality and tourism sectors like hotels and souvenir shops since tour operating business includes a broad range of service activities such as sightseeing, accommodation, transportation, recreational activities and shopping. Besides, these results have practical implications to prepare and provide business and management training tools to enhance entrepreneurial and managerial skills of owners of small tourism firms in Ethiopia. The findings of the study can also be applied in other African countries with similar culture and business environments to promote tourism development and success in Africa. Originality/value There have been hardly any empirical studies that are undertaken on the implications of entrepreneurial behaviour such as causation and effectuation on the performance of small tourism firms, particularly in an African context. The paper addresses this research gap in entrepreneurship literature in drawing on empirical evidence from small tourism firms (tour operators) in Ethiopia.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 93-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoying Yu ◽  
Qi Liao

Purpose – Passwords have been designed to protect individual privacy and security and widely used in almost every area of our life. The strength of passwords is therefore critical to the security of our systems. However, due to the explosion of user accounts and increasing complexity of password rules, users are struggling to find ways to make up sufficiently secure yet easy-to-remember passwords. This paper aims to investigate whether there are repetitive patterns when users choose passwords and how such behaviors may affect us to rethink password security policy. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop a model to formalize the password repetitive problem and design efficient algorithms to analyze the repeat patterns. To help security practitioners to analyze patterns, the authors design and implement a lightweight, Web-based visualization tool for interactive exploration of password data. Findings – Through case studies on a real-world leaked password data set, the authors demonstrate how the tool can be used to identify various interesting patterns, e.g. shorter substrings of the same type used to make up longer strings, which are then repeated to make up the final passwords, suggesting that the length requirement of password policy does not necessarily increase security. Originality/value – The contributions of this study are two-fold. First, the authors formalize the problem of password repetitive patterns by considering both short and long substrings and in both directions, which have not yet been considered in past. Efficient algorithms are developed and implemented that can analyze various repeat patterns quickly even in large data set. Second, the authors design and implement four novel visualization views that are particularly useful for exploration of password repeat patterns, i.e. the character frequency charts view, the short repeat heatmap view, the long repeat parallel coordinates view and the repeat word cloud view.


2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Maghrebi ◽  
Ali Shamsoddini ◽  
S. Travis Waller

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to predict the concrete pouring production rate by considering both construction and supply parameters, and by using a more stable learning method. Design/methodology/approach Unlike similar approaches, this paper considers not only construction site parameters, but also supply chain parameters. Machine learner fusion-regression (MLF-R) is used to predict the production rate of concrete pouring tasks. Findings MLF-R is used on a field database including 2,600 deliveries to 507 different locations. The proposed data set and the results are compared with ANN-Gaussian, ANN-Sigmoid and Adaboost.R2 (ANN-Gaussian). The results show better performance of MLF-R obtaining the least root mean square error (RMSE) compared with other methods. Moreover, the RMSEs derived from the predictions by MLF-R in some trials had the least standard deviation, indicating the stability of this approach among similar used approaches. Practical implications The size of the database used in this study is much larger than the size of databases used in previous studies. It helps authors draw their conclusions more confidently and introduce more generalised models that can be used in the ready-mixed concrete industry. Originality/value Introducing a more stable learning method for predicting the concrete pouring production rate helps not only construction parameters, but also traffic and supply chain parameters.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 66-74
Author(s):  
Yufeng Ma ◽  
Long Xia ◽  
Wenqi Shen ◽  
Mi Zhou ◽  
Weiguo Fan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is automatic classification of TV series reviews based on generic categories. Design/methodology/approach What the authors mainly applied is using surrogate instead of specific roles or actors’ name in reviews to make reviews more generic. Besides, feature selection techniques and different kinds of classifiers are incorporated. Findings With roles’ and actors’ names replaced by generic tags, the experimental result showed that it can generalize well to agnostic TV series as compared with reviews keeping the original names. Research limitations/implications The model presented in this paper must be built on top of an already existed knowledge base like Baidu Encyclopedia. Such database takes lots of work. Practical implications Like in digital information supply chain, if reviews are part of the information to be transported or exchanged, then the model presented in this paper can help automatically identify individual review according to different requirements and help the information sharing. Originality/value One originality is that the authors proposed the surrogate-based approach to make reviews more generic. Besides, they also built a review data set of hot Chinese TV series, which includes eight generic category labels for each review.


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