University entrepreneurship : context, process and performance

This project embraced empirical work that studied existing research commercialization systems (RCS) at both first tier and second tier universities, found them flawed and produced an enhanced framework that is definitely applicable to second tier universities (the vast majority) and possibly applicable to first tier universities as well.

Entrepreneurship as a process : toward harmonizing multiple perspectives

Are there any common denominators within the diversity of entrepreneurship literature that may serve as foundations for understanding the entrepreneurial process in a systematic and comprehensive way that is useful to both scholars and practitioners? The objective of this paper was to discover about the entrepreneurial process what, if anything, is both generic (all processes that are “entrepreneurial” do this) and distinct (only entrepreneurial processes do this). Our approach was to evaluate published models of entrepreneurial process to discover what scholars have argued about what entrepreneurs do and how they do it (the processes they use) and to seek out any key commonalities that scholars claim are associated with the phenomenon. Unfortunately for the field, the investigation demonstrates that, as at the time of our investigation, the 32 extant models of entrepreneurial process are highly fragmented in their claims and emphases and are insufficient for establishing an infrastructure upon which to synthesize an understanding of entrepreneurial process that is both generic and distinct. Insights gained in the study lead to suggestions for future research and theory development of which the most urgent is the need to develop a single harmonized model of entrepreneurial process capable of embracing the best of what is on offer and adding new theoretical arguments in areas where practice shows that they are lacking.

Corporate entrepreneurship and innovation part 1 : the missing link

Purpose – To examine the literature on corporate entrepreneurship and innovation and to develop a combined definition of these two terms. Moreover, the literature is used to construct a holistic model that seeks to explain the links between corporate entrepreneurial activity and the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach – A number of published works on entrepreneurship and innovation are critiqued. The findings from this literature review are used to develop a framework illustrating the relationships between the corporate entrepreneur and the innovation process. Findings – The paper presents a combined definition of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation and, from the literature review, concludes that previous models on entrepreneurship and innovation are fragmented because there is little exploration on the relationships and dynamics between these two factors. A framework of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation is constructed by synthesising the information gathered from previous literature. This model shows that there are missing links between the entrepreneur and the innovation process. The paper discusses three factors that may explain both the dynamics and the relationships between the entrepreneur and the innovation process. These are entrepreneurial attitudes, vision and actions. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified gap in the literature, namely the lack of investigation into the links between the corporate entrepreneur and the innovation process, and suggests three factors that could be used to explain this gap. Part 2 of this paper will present a new holistic model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation that illustrates the relationships between these two areas in more detail.

Corporate entrepreneurship and innovation part 2 : a role- and process-based approach

Purpose – To extend the discussion held in part 1, and develop a two-tier fifth-generation model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation. Design/methodology/approach – The components that have been synthesized from a review of the literature in Part 1 are extended using evidence from the literature. These components are used to construct a two-tier model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation; a macro model which presents the high-level environmental drivers of innovation and a micro model that discusses the contextual factors that underpin the corporate entrepreneurship and innovation process. Findings – From the analysis conducted in part 1 it is evident that there is a strong relationship between the role of the corporate entrepreneur and the innovation process. It is suggested that by separating the corporate entrepreneur from the innovation process previous models have been overly reductionist in their construction, and their utility has, as a consequence, been severely constrained. The study therefore combines the role and activities of the entrepreneur with the innovation process into a unified framework. In doing so the paper develops a two-tier fifth-generation model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation. The final sections of the paper present the model's implications for management and suggestions for further research. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified gap in the literature, namely the development of a new holistic model of corporate entrepreneurship and innovation, which illustrates the environmental and contextual relationships between the corporate entrepreneur and the innovation process.

Community social capital and entrepreneurship : analyzing the links

This study examines the effects of community social capital on entrepreneurial intentions (EIs) in rural communities in a developing country. Entrepreneurship, in the form of business start-ups, is widely recognized as an integral component of local economic development programs designed to address poverty and limited livelihood opportunities, especially among poor and marginalized communities in rural areas in developing countries. Using a survey of 496 individuals residing in five rural communities in the Philippines, and drawing from the theory of planned behavior and social capital theory, we examine the direct and indirect effects of community social capital (CSC) on an individual’s EIs. The findings show that CSC largely influences EI by shaping an individual’s perceived self-efficacy (PSE) to engage in entrepreneurship, perceived desirability of entrepreneurship (PDE), and perceived social norms toward entrepreneurship (PSNE). High levels of PSE, PDE, and PSNE have a positive influence on an individual’s EI. These findings offer more nuanced explanations of how social capital within a community can facilitate entrepreneurship as a means of community economic development. Implications of the findings and areas for future research are discussed.

Female entrepreneurship in rural Vietnam: an exploratory study

Impact of contextual and individual factors on rural women entrepreneurship

This study proposes a novel model of female entrepreneurship in rural areas of transitional countries. This model indicates indirect influences of various community contextual factors and highlights six individual qualities that largely determine the entrepreneurial propensity and behaviours of the females.

Understanding the dynamics between social entrepreneurship and inclusive growth in subsistence marketplaces

This article explores how social entrepreneurs utilize their unique circumstances and resources at a micro level to facilitate the creation of shared value at the meso level, leading to inclusive growth at a macro level in the context of subsistence marketplaces. Drawing from explanatory case studies of two social enterprises—Waste Concern (Bangladesh) and Seven Women (Nepal)—the findings suggest that social entrepreneurs act as bricoleurs to integrate their operant and operand resources in subsistence marketplaces to facilitate inclusive growth. The authors further connect with and extend three discourses of research—social entrepreneurship, social bricolage, and service-dominant logic—to develop a framework providing insights into the “bottom-up” approach, the underlying dynamics of shared value creation, and inclusive growth in subsistence marketplaces by social entrepreneurs. The findings also strengthen Dees's (2001) definition of social entrepreneurship, confirming its applicability and relevance in subsistence marketplaces and further extending the theory of social bricolage. The authors discuss the implications of these findings, including tactical interventions aimed at providing better understanding of how social entrepreneurs create value in resource-constrained marketplaces, from a bottom-up perspective.

Building a local design and entrepreneurship ecosystem

Design and creativity are becoming greatly sought out skills in leading industries around the world, big businesses are developing the “Chief Design Officer” to engage with strategic and company shaping discussions. Design as an economic driver is now abundantly clear with companies such as Nike and Apple leading this way of thinking, but how do we as Australian industry capture this and how do we instil “creativity” into our secondary school and university level education to drive the next level of innovation and development. The local region where Deakin University is situated has undergone significant changes in the last 10 years, what was once an economy dominated by oil, automotive and metal production industries has been wound down to a local economy dominated by health, services and education. However, manufacturing and design being the front end of manufacturing is still a key economic driver this study is looking at the embryonic initiatives undertaken to build an ecosystem of design and entrepreneurship in a regional area. Several aspects will be looked at, high school and university student engagement in the process, established SME's and start-up culture. With the establishment of an ecosystem it is believed that success will breed success. With student engagement showing that being creative and playing can yield tangible results, it also gets students comfortable with the element of risk. The efforts of Deakin University is about providing the framework and scaffolding for students to pursue a start-up idea and test it validity. The final part of the ecosystem is for SME's and recent start-ups to share their success stories and acting as mentors as future start-ups emerge. By creating an ecosystem that is driven by design, manufacturing and entrepreneurship key economic outcomes will be generated; a regional area will be more resilient to economic uncertainty and ultimately a cohort of innovative thinkers that will generate value for their community.

Family embeddedness and entrepreneurship experience: a study of Indian migrant women entrepreneurs in Australia

GroupIndia has emerged as a major source of migrants for developed countries including Australia; yet, there is a dearth of research on Indian migrant entrepreneurs, particularly women. Using qualitative methods of enquiry, we explore the perceptions of Indian migrant women entrepreneurs (MWEs) and their partners in Melbourne, Australia, about their entrepreneurship experiences from a family embeddedness perspective. More specifically, we explore how family embeddedness of Indian MWEs is influenced by certain factors which in turn influence their entrepreneurship experience. Our findings suggest that entrepreneurship among Indian MWEs is a complex phenomenon influenced by their being an Indian, a woman and a new Australian, all of which interact and influence their family dynamics and entrepreneurial experience. Our findings shed light on the duality of Indian culture which exerts both an enabling and a constraining influence on the family dynamics of MWEs, the constraining role of gender and the positive impact of their integration into the host country’s sociocultural context which all influence their family embeddedness and entrepreneurship. Contributing to the discussion on ‘ethnic’ and ‘women entrepreneurship’ from a family embeddedness perspective, we offer policy implications for facilitating entrepreneurship in the growing but under-researched cohort of Indian MWEs.