Academic entrepreneurship in the context of education

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 951-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Rossano-Rivero ◽  
Ingrid Wakkee
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Academic Entrepreneurship ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
External Actors ◽  
The University

Purpose This study aims to extend literature on academic entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial networking by examining how academics, in their role of entrepreneurial educators, network for the creation and execution of novel teaching practices in cooperation with external actors. Design/methodology/approach The empirical investigation is based on qualitative inquiry, using a case study approach. Specifically, eight cases originating at three universities in Germany, The Netherlands and Mexico were examined. The cases which constituted innovative teaching practices were selected following a replication logic. Each involved extensive participation of societal actors in course development or delivery and aimed to stimulate students to work on real life challenges and disseminate novel knowledge back to the world of practice. All courses were either introduced or taught by educators who possessed different levels and types of academic and industrial or entrepreneurial experience. Findings Based on eight cases the authors found that the networking behaviour of entrepreneurial educators is crucial for the generation of proximity with external actors and for the acquisition of key resources, such as an external actor to participate in teaching practice and for the generation of legitimacy for their innovations in teaching. The entrepreneurial and industrial experience of entrepreneurial educators emerges as an affordance to network with external actors, helping them to achieve a common understanding of the opportunity and to generate trust among them. Practical implications This study equips managers of higher education institutions with critical insights into innovating the teaching mission of the university and developing closer and stronger relationships with external actors of the university. Originality/value This study seeks to advance the literature on academic entrepreneurship by shifting the attention away from academic entrepreneurs as merely founders of spin-offs and collaborators with business on research and development towards entrepreneurial educators who see opportunities in establishing collaborations with external actors as part of their teaching activities. Further, it introduces the “social networking perspective” to this field. Vissa (2012) and Stam (2015) introduced this perspective as a logical extension to the study of the generation of social capital to reach entrepreneurial goals.

INSPIRE sustainability internships

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Susan Hayles
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Life Context ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore the outputs of an internship programme, one of a number of campus-based sustainability activities that have been introduced at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, to encourage student-led campus-based greening initiatives. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was undertaken, allowing the researcher to investigate the programme in its real-life context. The researcher used multiple sources of evidence to gain as holistic a picture as possible. Findings Interns report positive changes in their behaviours towards sustainability, s well as encouraging feedback on their experiential learning, the development of their soft skills and the creation of new knowledge. Moreover, students communicated perceived benefits for their future careers. The reported outcomes reflect mutually beneficial relationships for student and institution, for example, raising the profile of campus greening activities and supporting the University’s aim to embed sustainability throughout its campus, community and culture. Research limitations/implications The researcher recognises the limitations of the research, in particular, the small sample size, which has resulted primarily in qualitative results being presented. Practical implications Feedback from previous interns will be used to shape future internships. In particular, Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) will look for opportunities to work more closely with University operations, departments, faculties and alongside University staff, both academic and support staff. Social implications Following student feedback, INSPIRE will give students opportunities for wider involvement, including an opportunity to propose their own projects to shape future internships that meet the needs of student body on campus. Originality/value Despite being one case study from one institution, the research highlights the value of such programmes for other institutions.

scholarly journals Embedding social innovation and social impact across the disciplines

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 242-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethany Alden Rivers ◽  
Alejandro Armellini ◽  
Ming Nie
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Innovative Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an attributes framework for embedding “Changemaker” – a university initiative for promoting social innovation and social impact – across the disciplines at the University of Northampton. Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on the authors’ (2015) phenomenographic study that proposed five different conceptions of Changemaker held by academic staff: (1) Changemaker as institutional strategy; (2) Changemaker as critical thinking, perspective shifting and problem solving; (3) Changemaker as employability; (4) Changemaker as social betterment; and (5) Changemaker as personal transformation. The present study explores pedagogic literature to identify skills, behaviours and attributes associated with each of these five categories. Findings – Findings from this literature review inform a set of Changemaker attributes, which offers a framework to consider skills and behaviours associated with the five conceptions of Changemaker. Research limitations/implications – The conceptions of Changemaker, that form the basis of the Changemaker attributes, represent the beliefs of teaching staff at the University of Northampton. Despite inherent limitations, the approach of using practice-based empirical findings to develop pedagogical tools may be of direct benefit to other education providers as they develop their own models for teaching and learning. Practical implications – The Changemaker attributes will be used by the University of Northampton during the design, approval and review of courses to ensure that social innovation and social impact is embedded across the disciplines. Academic staff can refer these attributes when designing assessments and for inspiration towards innovative teaching practice. Originality/value – The findings of this study will provide a point of reference for other higher education institutions as they look for guidance on embedding social innovation and social impact into their curriculum.

scholarly journals Crafting the community

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-71
Author(s):  
Claire Lucy Barber
Keyword(s):  
Value Relevance ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Public Realm ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The University

Purpose – Crafting the Community is a volunteering project run by the Textiles Department at the University of Huddersfield to promote and deliver textile craft activities to the wider community. The purpose of this paper is to explore how volunteering can be a powerful tool for enriching peoples’ lives while deepening students’ textile-related competencies through placing their learning in social and communal settings. Design/methodology/approach – Initially the paper will articulate how the project has been developed to bring innovation to the forefront of the curriculum, equipping students with tools for playing a meaningful and constructive role in society. Subsequently the paper will investigate how volunteering can be used to affect real-life changes in homelessness, archival threats and rural transport. Findings – The paper uses a case study approach to realise the vision of Crafting the Community that enables students to put into practice their learning while capturing the imagination of local communities. Social implications – As active players in society, staff, students and external partners create an engaged and interrelated learning experience as an evolving process, mimicking the repetitiveness and structure of the warp and weft of cloth itself. Originality/value – In response to emerging debates concerning the value, relevance and impact of cloth on societies today the project’s aim is to share the course’s own unique philosophy and insight into the importance of a practical and creative engagement with materials and processes in the wider community. This paper would be suitable for academics that who are interested in textile culture and emergent textile volunteering and socially engaged practices in the public realm.

The birth of social entrepreneurship within a Thai university

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-172
Author(s):  
Sutti Sooampon
Keyword(s):  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Academic Entrepreneurship ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Local Society ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
The University ◽  
Thai University

Purpose This study aims to investigate whether and how academic entrepreneurship can grow in less technologically advanced conditions, particularly those seen in emerging markets. The objective was to examine the pre-conditions for the birth and growth of university-based ventures in Thailand, where science commercialisation has not yet flourished. Design/methodology/approach A single case study approach was adopted for the in-depth study of the birth of an unusual entrepreneurial initiative in one academic unit within a dental school, an environment that typically focuses on academic work. Data from interviews with key members working in this unit were analysed to reveal the pre-conditions of entrepreneurship within this Thai university department, with a focus on the existing understanding of academic entrepreneurship. Findings Social conditions, rather than technology-related motives, were important for the birth of the university-based venture examined. Key triggers for academic entrepreneurship in this situation were found to closely align with a model of social entrepreneurship. Originality/value Evidence from this emerging economy can help expand the typology of academic entrepreneurship. In addition to the technology-led ventures typically seen, the results from this study call for socially oriented university-based ventures that tackle social problems in local society.

International perspectives on English teaching

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Locke
Keyword(s):  
Social Justice ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
English Teaching ◽  
International Perspectives ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer a personalised overview of the content of English Teaching: Practice and Critique for the years it was hosted at the Wilf Malcolm Institute for Educational Research (WMIER) at the University of Waikato (2002-2014). Design/methodology/approach – It notes trends in relationship to the context of origin of 335 articles published in this period (excluding editorials), including significant increases in articles originating in the USA and Pacific Rim Asian nations, particularly South Korea and Taiwan. It comments on articles that relate to the original vision of the editors’ founders, especially their emphasis on practice, criticality and social justice. Findings – Prevailing themes across 13 years are mapped and in some cases discussed. Originality/value – A number of reflections are shared in relation to the future of the journal and some challenges currently facing subject English.

When things go wrong: the implications for facilitators of work integrated learning placements in international destinations

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Agnew ◽  
Elizabeth Abery ◽  
Sam Schulz ◽  
Shane Pill
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Staff Wellbeing ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeInternational work integrated learning (iWIL) placements for university students are widely promoted within universities. However, they cannot be offered and sustained without a great deal of time and effort; most commonly the responsibility of an assigned university facilitator. Preparation and support are essential for a positive student experience and iWIL outcome. However, not all experiences and outcomes are positive, or predictable.Design/methodology/approachPersonal vignettes of university iWIL facilitators are used to create a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) of experiences and outcomes where placements have been affected by unexpected or unprecedented “critical incidents” and the impact incurred on these academics. The vignettes are analyzed according to the Pitard (2016) six-step structural analysis model.FindingsAnalysis of the vignettes identifies a resulting workload cost, emotional labor and effect on staff wellbeing. Due to the responsibility and expectations of the position, these incidents placed the university iWIL facilitator in a position of vulnerability, stress, added workload and emotional labor that cannot be compared to other academic teaching roles.Practical implicationsIt is intended through the use of “real life” stories presented in the vignettes, to elicit consideration and recognition of the role of the iWIL facilitator when dealing with “the negatives” and “bring to light” management and support strategies needed.Originality/valueResearch is scant on iWIL supervisor experience and management of “critical incidents”, therefore this paper adds to the literature in an area previously overlooked.

The relational capital of micro-enterprises run by women: the startup phase

VINE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Paoloni ◽  
John Dumay
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Relational Capital ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Current Events ◽  
Micro Enterprises

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how relational capital contributes to the startup phase of women-owned micro-enterprises. The motivation for the study stems from the fact that micro-enterprises are key drivers of economic growth and that woman entrepreneurs are key developers of these businesses. Design/methodology/approach – To gather data for our study, a qualitative research methodology was adopted using a case study approach based on examining current events of real life in depth (Yin, 2009). Nine cases of micro-enterprises run by women are analysed, focusing on the management of the start-up phase to investigate the nature and role of the relationships that are activated by the entrepreneurs. Findings – The paper develops the CAOS model of micro-entrepreneurship, examining the personal characteristics of the female entrepreneur (C); the environment in which the micro-enterprise operates (A); organizational and managerial aspects (O); and the motivations for starting a new business (S). Using this model, the authors’ are able to link these factors and classify different types of connections, it is possible to identify the kind of existing relations. From the analysis, it was found that a predominant use of networks characterized by informal and permanent relations, supporting the need to reconcile work and family and to involve relatives and friends in the network. This emphasizes the lack of strategy in the female-run micro-enterprises. Originality/value – Given that female entrepreneurship is regarded as central to the development and welfare of economies, the deepening of knowledge of how women entrepreneurs manage the start-up of her business can contribute to improving the effectiveness policies aimed at promoting the participation of female entrepreneurs in the economy.

The Free State University integrated reporting: a critical consideration

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefania Veltri ◽  
Antonella Silvestri
Keyword(s):  
Real Life ◽  
State University ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Stakeholder Relationships ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Social Capitals ◽  
International Integrated Reporting Council

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the integrated report (IR) of a South African public university (UFS), by comparing it with the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) framework, to verify whether UFS IR matches the IIRC framework main aims, which is integrating IC and non-IC information into a single report for stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs the case study approach, which is appropriate when a researcher needs to conduct a holistic and in-depth analysis of a complex phenomenon in its real-life context. As such, this method is particularly suitable for exploring intellectual and social capitals, which is complex and context-dependent by nature. Findings – UFS IR includes the content elements of the IIRC framework as labels, but it does not deepen their meaning. As regards the IIRC guidelines principles, the analysis of the UFS IR shows that it does not seem to follow them. Briefly, the data do not have an outlook orientation, the information is not interconnected, the stakeholder relationships are not highlighted and the organisational ability to create value is not disclosed. Research limitations/implications – The implications based on the “bad” experience of UFS IR aims to extend the findings of the case study by shedding light on the levers and the barriers that managers have to face when implementing an IRing project in their organisations. Originality/value – To the best of the knowledge the research is the first investigating the IR theme in the public sector, specifically the higher education sector, dealing with disclosing IC (and non-IC) information within a new reporting mode: the IR.

Facilitating professional development of mobile and eTextbook technologies

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee deNoyelles ◽  
Ryan Seilhamer
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Sense Of Community ◽  
Curriculum Design ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
Online Spaces ◽  
The University

Purpose – While the integration of mobile and eTextbook technologies is rapidly growing throughout higher education learning environments, these technologies are often challenging to implement across the university landscape. Professional development tailored to these fluid and evolving technologies is essential to supporting effective classroom integration. The purpose of this paper is to describe and evaluate a special interest group approach to professional development regarding mobile and eTextbook technologies implemented by one university in the USA. Issues such as recruitment of members, selection of face-to-face and online spaces, and curriculum design are addressed. Design/methodology/approach – To evaluate effectiveness, a survey was given to the participants that asked about sense of community, perceived increase in knowledge and teaching practices, and overall satisfaction with the experience. Findings – The interrelated factors of sense of community, knowledge, and teaching practices were identified as valuable, along with group organization. Survey results revealed that participants highly valued the opportunity to share best practices with others they typically would not, and benefitted from the expertise of guest speakers. Online spaces were found to serve as a repository of on-demand resources and dissemination of information, while face-to-face meetings capitalized on interactivity and nurtured community. Sharing the work of the members with the university and beyond was critical to incentivizing members to produce, and also built further professional networks. The planning team identified a tension between encouraging active involvement from instructors and offering it in convenient ways given their other commitments. Originality/value – Although this is a single case, this analysis suggests generalizable strategies that may create and sustain a community interested in mobile and eTextbook technologies.

Product importance and complexity as determinants of adaptation processes in business relationships

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Sales Baptista
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Behavior ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Capital Equipment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Adaptation Processes

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to characterize adaptation processes in business relationships. The nature of adaptive behavior is described by outlining activities and events in these relationships. The role of perceived product importance and complexity in the character of the adaptations processes is sought. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach is adopted and two long-term relationships between buyers and sellers of capital equipment in the mining industry are investigated. Perspectives from both sides of the dyad (buyer and seller) were attained through in-depth interviews. Findings – Findings show that supplier-based adaptations occur more frequently than customer-based adaptations. The market antecedents of concentration and resource dependency are identified as drivers of adaptive behavior. Furthermore, product importance and complexity are key drivers to adaptation processes and the development of long-term relationships. Supplier's brand name and the choice of a direct channel strategy are identified as indicators of long-term commitment to the market. Moreover, two-task related factors were extremely relevant as selection criteria for capital equipment: the functional suitability and the degree of standardization/customization of the equipment. Research limitations/implications – The findings are specific to the market environment and recommendations are given for the realm of the mining industry. Multi-case studies in multi-contexts should be conducted to enable generalization and potential theory-building. Practical implications – A number of important managerial implications for buyers and sellers of capital equipment in the mining industry are given. Originality/value – This paper contributes to knowledge by providing rich descriptions of adaptation processes. This real life evidence enables the identification of major drivers of adaptive behavior and, consequently, the development of long-term successful relationships.

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