Public research and the quality of inventions: the role and impact of entrepreneurial universities and regional network embeddedness

The positive effect of public research on industrial innovations is beyond controversy: public research institutions produce knowledge that is subsequently transferred into product and process innovations by private businesses. Besides this rather passive role in commercializing inventions, public research institutions may also proactively exploit new knowledge through public sector entrepreneurship activities. Especially entrepreneurial universities are perceived as a conduit of knowledge spillovers; they serve as central actors of innovation networks and stimulate network activities. Whereas the linkages between network embeddedness and innovation activities have been largely explored, the determinants of patent quality in terms of radicalness, originality, and generality remain rather unclear. Considering Germany’s diverse public research infrastructure (universities, polytechnics, and non-university research institutes), our findings reveal that the type of institution and the corresponding scientific orientation (basic vs applied research) matter for the quality of inventions. The centrality of respective institutions within innovation networks reinforces the radicalness of inventions. However, we do not find support for the general assumption that an entrepreneurial orientation of public sector entities augments the quality of inventions. We conclude the paper with policy recommendations and with future avenues of research.Plain English Summary This study explores the relation between network embeddedness, scientific orientation, entrepreneurial orientation, and the quality of inventions of public research. Our results imply that a basic research focus induces inventions that are more radical, and a more central network position reinforces the production of more radical, original, and general patents. In contrast, an entrepreneurial orientation does not seem to stimulate a higher quality of inventions. Our results give impetus to nuanced public sector entrepreneurship policies that take the type of institution and the optimal level of regional embeddedness into account. A sole focus on the entrepreneurial transformation of public research institutes may not be sufficient to leverage the full potential of knowledge created therein. Instead, more support and guidance for creating links with other network entities is needed along with incentives to commercialize new knowledge.

Kapasitas Bisnis Pemerintah Desa dalam Perspektif Business-Government Relationship Pasca Implementasi Otonomi Desa di Indonesia (Kasus di Kabupaten Banyumas)

The Indonesian Governments policies after the implementation of village autonomy are directed to villages business development. Village governments duties and functions are not only related to administrative matters anymore, but also in operation of villages business. This shows that there is a developing business commitment in Indonesia. The research result shows that the Business-Government Relationship in Indonesia has changed from one way to mutual interaction, as shown with the development of Public Sector Entrepreneurship and business commitment in village government environment. Both factors evidently improve the capacity of business, which begins to be developed by the Indonesian Government at all levels. The development of Public Sector Entrepreneurship is shown with the business creativity, business cooperation, and professionalism of village government in governments business management. Meanwhile, local governments business commitment is shown with support of policies, funding and human resources in governments business management. Governments business capacity is shown with efficiency, effectiveness and economy (value for money) achieved by governments business unit. In Indonesia, particularly in Banyumas Regency, village autonomy has given opportunity for the development of Business-Government Relationship at local level.

In the public eye

Purpose of this paper Reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings For many, the idea of public sector entrepreneurship will seem something of an oxymoron. The public sector, particularly in many developed countries, often suffers from a series of drab stereotypes – that everything within its institutions moves at a glacial pace, that any progress is stymied by labyrinthine bureaucracies, and that both of these factors work together to hold back creative thinking or agile solutions. In short, if you were to design a mechanism that would prevent entrepreneurship from flourishing, it would be something very much akin to this nightmare vision of the public sector. Practical implications Provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. What is original/value of paper? The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Being alert: bridging theory and practice in public sector entrepreneurship

Purpose Studies on entrepreneurship in public agencies suggest that managing for innovation may increase organizational performance. These studies, however, do not take into consideration the processes of opportunity identification. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to, first, situate the concept of opportunity identification within the broader research on public sector entrepreneurship, and second, to explore the relationship between managerial empowerment practices and employee alertness to new opportunities. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses aggregated data from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey – an annual survey of the US Federal employees – to examine the relationship between managerial empowerment practices and employee alertness. The analysis employs a fixed-effects regression to model each panel of the US Federal agencies, from 2011 to 2017. Findings The results indicate that managerial empowerment practices have a clear correlation to employee alertness and are substantively different from empowerment practice’s relationship to “innovation” – an outcome of entrepreneurship. These findings suggest that scholarship should include opportunity identification as a moderating variable in future studies on public sector entrepreneurship. Research limitations/implications The empirical analysis should be viewed as a novel approach to alertness in order to demonstrate the need to include opportunity identification processes in studies on managing for public sector entrepreneurship. Consequently, the results are not generalizable to all public agencies. Originality/value This paper highlights processes of entrepreneurial opportunity identification concerning management practices in the public sector, which scholarship has traditionally ignored.

Institutional barriers to productive public-sector entrepreneurship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to outline barriers to public-sector entrepreneurship and explore the impact of those barriers on population shifts within the USA. Design/methodology/approach This paper lays out five specific barriers to public-sector entrepreneurship: barriers to entry and exit for consumers and producers, increased centralization and concentration in government, the lack of residual claim amongst public-sector actors, the rise of public-sector union membership and increasingly uncompetitive elections. The paper then assesses the impact of each of these barriers on population and production changes within the USA from 2010 to 2017. Findings Those state governments with limited barriers for productive public-sector entrepreneurship are rewarded with faster growing populations. Specifically, states with higher incomes, less centralized spending, lower public-sector unionization rates and higher state credit ratings tend to experience the greatest levels of population growth. States with less centralized spending also experience the largest increases in gross state product per capita. Practical implications This paper offers practical applications for policy makers wishing to increase their tax bases, increase the standard of living for their constituents or increase the efficiency in production and distribution of government goods and services. In particular, this paper offers evidence that an improved credit rating carries the most economic significance for population gains. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine Tiebout effects from barriers to public-sector entrepreneurship in the USA. Researchers in fields including political science, economics, management and public policy have all contributed to our understanding of public entrepreneurship. And yet, there are still numerous barriers preventing productive public-sector entrepreneurship from occurring at an optimal level.