Positive Effects of the Innovative Start-Up on University Spin-Offs

The third mission of the university has developed over the years, becoming a key aspect of university policy. The spin-offs are increasingly prosperous and innovative. Over the last decade University spin-offs in Italy have developed, but there are many difficulties that hinder the creation and success of such initiatives. A recent regulatory intervention, however, has created the conditions to overcome these difficulties by introducing the theme of innovative start-ups. Through the analysis of this issue we want to emphasize if these start-ups can contribute to the optimal development of spin-offs.

The Ambiguous Role of Trade Unions in Startup Formation

In this chapter the authors analyze the role of trade unions for firm formation from the perspective of the individual entrepreneur. The industrial relations and entrepreneurship literature reviewed shows that trade unions matter in firm formation decisions in three ways: with regard to the occupational choice problem, the management of potential employees and the resource availability for the startup. Taking the Spanish economy as an example the findings from an empirical study demonstrate the perceived actual and potential role of unions for firm formation. The findings are compared with trade union activity in Germany and the United States in order to draw recommendations for trade union strategists.

The Role Models as Determinants of New Technology-Based Firms

The new technology-based firms (NTBF) are a key element of economic growth, and therefore, understanding NTBF´s driving forces becomes a particularly important field of study. Relatively few studies have addressed the analysis of the determinants of technology entrepreneurship (TE), and those that did, have paid more attention to institutional or external factors (Aceytuno & de Paz, 2008). Role models have received less attention but seem to play a determinant role regarding TE (Venkataraman, 2004). The present chapter aims to analyse whether these role models and its proximity to potential entrepreneurs influence the NTBF creation. Using a sample of 65 countries over the period 2006-2013, we apply panel data random effect models. Overall, empirical evidence revealed that the variables media attention on entrepreneurship and personally know an entrepreneur exert significant influence on TE.

Nascent Entrepreneurs, Psychological Characteristics, and Sociocultural Background

Entrepreneurial intention as a psychological process has been investigated from several points of view which, although employing similar methodologies, have used different variables. Our aim here is to explain the reasons why some individuals tend more towards entrepreneurship than others. For these explanations we look towards Schwartz's Theory of Cultural Values. Schwarz structures cultural values in relation to three bipolar dimensions: conservation vs autonomy, hierarchy vs egalitarianism and mastery vs harmony. To analyse these variables, we applied the EOQ scale to a sample of 600 nascent entrepreneurs aged between 25 and 35, pertaining to different autonomous communities in Spain. After application and evaluation of the results, it can be concluded that there are significant differences in the personal, contextual and entrepreneurial intention variables as regards gender, parent's occupation(s) and autonomous community

The Role of High-Tech Entrepreneurship on Regional Development

In a globalized business environment characterized by the existence of mature sectors, it is essential to focus our attention on those firms with low entry barriers as well as high growth potential in order to design adequate regional development policies. In this context, we analyze firm growth in Brazilian technology-based companies over the 2002-2013 period testing the Law of Proportionate Effect which allows us to provide useful information for policy makers. This study confirms that firm growth is not a random process and, most importantly, we observe that there has been a positive and significant effect of more profitable firms on firm growth in years of global recession. Consequently, we highlight that public policies should be focused on small, profitable and less indebted firms of the technology-based sector because they would contribute to business dynamism and job creation.

The Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Networks

This study attempts to analyze the dynamic impact of the entrepreneurial network at early stages of high technology start-ups, namely conception, gestation and infancy phases, located at a university based incubator. Empirical results show that, in different stages of a new enterprise, the use of formal or informal components of entrepreneurial network imposes distinctive impacts on performance of the start-ups. Prior ties that helped start-ups to acquire critical resources and capabilities proved to be dysfunctional in the latter stages. Conversely, weak or insignificant ties that were created in earlier periods provided start-ups with critical resources or capabilities for growth and survival. Consequently, results revealed that the formal efforts of incubator to facilitate such networks, such as mentoring activities, organized events and provision of access to local and international organizations, positively influenced start-up survival and growth.

Intrapreneurship in Business Innovation

Corporate entrepreneurship or intrapreneurship is increasingly seen as a way of generating competitive advantages in companies and institutions. The current climate calls for organisations to innovate their management strategies to bring them in line with these new requirements. One such alternative is to capitalise on the commitment, capacity, ingenuity and creativity of their human talent. Companies need to be more streamlined. They need entrepreneurial employees, capable of working internally as if they were a start-up. That intellectual capital (IC) generated by the corporate entrepreneurs is the most valuable resource and most important dynamic capability that knowledge-intensive institutions (learning organizations) have in order to achieve future competitive positioning. The legal protection of IC is deemed essential to protect the base of the core competences. This article describes and justifies the need to foster and develop corporate entrepreneurship and the internal conditions required to do so.

The Challenging Dynamics of Nascent Entrepreneurship

Nascent entrepreneurship has long been studied from a variety of perspectives. A major stream of work by psychologists and sociologists suggests that nascent entrepreneurs have distinctive traits and competences. A second focus for research has been studying the environment in which nascent entrepreneurs operates. Recently, the identification and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities has emerged as a third focus. In this paper we will address the following questions: (1) what are the individual characteristics of those individuals who are attracted to becoming an entrepreneur? (2) What are the environmental factors contributing to new venture creation? (3) What are the steps in the creation process? We will attempt to answer these three questions by arguing that the central process of nascent entrepreneurship is centred on opportunity recognition, evaluation and exploitation, and influenced by contextual factors (e.g. external knowledge) and personal characteristics and competences (e.g. internal knowledge).

Evaluating the Determinants of Nascent Entrepreneurship Among Countries

This chapter reflects upon factors that influence nascent entrepreneurship across countries. Correlation analysis is applied using various explanatory variables derived from different approaches. Clusters analysis is applied to verify how different countries are positioned in terms of nascent entrepreneurship. Scheffe's test of mean differences distinguish the unique characteristics of each cluster and assess the principal determinants of the nascent entrepreneurship capacity. The chapter uses the global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM) database and nascent entrepreneurship rates for 52 countries (in 2015), as well as the competitiveness database (2015-16) of the World Economic Forum and Hofstede's cultural dimensions. Analysis from the different approaches assumes that nascent entrepreneurship depends upon the competitive level of the country. In addition, it assumes that nascent entrepreneurship is a cultural phenomenon.

Nascent Entrepreneurship and Sustainability on the Beverage Sector

This research analyses the nascent entrepreneurship and sustainability on the beverage sector through the financial performance of the new emerging business of Portuguese companies. It explains the economic and financial results of new and older companies and discuss the best strategies adopted by them. Most companies are small, characterized by the same selling products: natural mineral water and spring water, flavoured water and soft drinks. Indeed, the research address the sustainability challenges, demands of major investments in sustainable businesses that will provide triple bottom line. The research adds knowledge and transfer to the society, because it is unusual research about entrepreneurship in beverage sector through the new demands on the market reality.