Knowledge creation, its transfer, and the role of science enterprise education in prompting this progress
Elizabeth Chell
Institute for Entrepreneurship, University of Southampton, United Kingdom
Ray Oakey
Professor, Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
PP: 444
Abstract
Over the past 15 years, a crucial part of the UK Government's agenda has been to develop industrial and innovation policies in support of entrepreneurship and the creation of new businesses. They included significant investment in an incubator fund, increased funding for the exploitation of technologies by high tech small firms and the establishment of nation-wide Science Enterprise Centres located within the higher education sector.
This paper argues that to a large extent this policy has preceded evidence-based theory. The policy research agenda should focus on all stages of the nascent enterprise development process. Our definition of nascent entrepreneurship takes the business creation process back to the twin notions of an intention and a germ of an idea. A nascent entrepreneur is 'someone who initiates serious activities that are intended to culminate in a viable business start-up' (Aldrych 1999: 77). Research should address what these activities are and how long it takes to progress through the process.
The paper suggests that the resource based view (RBV) should be extended to encompass nascent entrepreneurship in science enterprise. Theory should focus on knowledge development within the Nascent Entrepreneurial Unit (NEU) as a necessary resource. Aspects of knowledge acquisition in science enterprise are tacit and embedded in a network of relationships required to support venture development. The policy agenda should thus research the knowledge production process, where knowledge is known to be widely distributed amongst a transdisciplinary group of scientists, practitioners and professionals in investment and business support of NEUs. These impacts on what and how skills are taught in science enterprise. Examples suggest that business founding is based on team starts and this in turn implies that the human capital element may be crucial component on new enterprise.
The paper argues that a policy research agenda should not only examine NEUs at different stages in their development, but also examine whether differences arise between sectors. Finally it suggests that there are subtle cultural and situational factors which affect entrepreneurial behaviour, and therefore that an international comparative study would be both a valuable and essential aspect.
Keywords
science enterprise, nascent entrepreneurship, human capital, innovation policy, business creation process, comprehensive research, cultural factors, situational factors
References
Aldrich H (1999) Organizations Evolving. London: Sage.
Amabile TM, Patterson C, Mueller J, Wojcik T et al (2001) Academic-Practitioner collaboration in management research: A case of cross professional collaboration, Academy of Management Journal 44(2): 418-431.
Argyris C and Schon DA (1978) Organisational Learning: A Theory of Action Perspective. Reading: Addison Wesley.
Azoulay P and Shane S (2001) Entrepreneurs, contracts and the failure of young firms, Management Science 47(3): 337-358.
Becker GS (1964) Human Capital. Chicago: Chicago University Press.
Bergmann Lichtenstein BM, Brush CG (2000) How do 'resource bundles' change in new ventures? A dynamic model and longitudinal exploration. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 25(3): 37-58.
Bird B (1989) Entrepreneurial Behaviour. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
Blackler F (1995) Knowledge, knowledge work and organisations: an overview and interpretation, Organisation Studies 16: 1021-1046.
Bloodgood JM, Sapienza HJ and Carsrud AL (1995) The dynamics of new business start-ups: person, context and process. In JA Katz and RH Brokhaus Sr (eds) Advances in Entrepreneurship, Firm Emergence and Growth 2: 123-144, Greenwich, Connecticut: JAI Press.
Bolton W (1997) The University Handbook on Enterprise Development, Paris, Cedex: Columbus.
Chell E (2001) Entrepreneurship: Globalisation, Innovation and Development, London: Thomson Learning.
Chell E (1998) The critical incident technique, in C Cassell and G Syman (eds) Qualitative Research and Analysis in Organisations, London: Sage.
Chell E and Allman K (2002) The Development of High Technology Enterprise from HEIs: Some Methodological Considerations, in R Oakey, W During and S Kauser (eds) New Technology-Based Firms in the New Millennium vol. II. Amsterdam: Pergamon, pp.71-93.
Chell E and Baines S (2000) Networking, entrepreneurship and microbusiness behaviour. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development 12(2): 195-215.
Cm 4176 (1998) Our Competitive Future: Building the Knowledge Driven Economy. London: DTI, HM Stationery Office.
Cooper AC and Daily CM (1997) Entrepreneurial Teams. In L Sexton and RW Smilor (eds) Entrepreneurship 2000, Ch. 6. Chicago: Upstart Publishing Company.
Cope J and Watts G (2000) Learning by doing - an exploration of critical incidents and reflection of entrepreneurial learning, International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research 6(3): 104-124.
Chrisman JJ (1989) Strategic, administrative and operating assistance: the value of outsider consulting to pre-venture entrepreneurs, Journal of Business Venturing 4(6): 401-418.
Chrisman JJ and McMullan WE (2000) A Preliminary Assessment of Outsider Assistance as a Knowledge Resource: The Longer Term Impact of New Venture Counselling. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 24(3): 37-53.
DiGregorio D and Shane S (forthcoming) Why do some universities generate more start-ups than others? Research Policy.
Druilhe C and Garnsey E (2001) Academic spin-off ventures: A resource opportunity approach. Chapter 14, in W During et al (eds) New Technology-Based Firms in the New Millennium. Amsterdam, Pergamon, pp.175-190.
Dubini P and Aldrich H (1991) Personal and extended networks are central to the entrepreneurial process, Journal of Business Venturing 6: 305-313.
Easterby-Smith M and Malina D (1999) Cross-cultural collaborative research: Toward reflexivity, Academy of Management Journal 42: 76-86.
Fiet JO (2000a) The pedagogical side of entrepreneurship theory, Journal of Business Venturing 16: 101-117.
Fiet JO (2000b) The theoretical side of teaching Entrepreneurship, Journal of Business Venturing 16: 11-14.
Fowles S (2001) The problem with knowledge management, PREST Working Paper.
Gibbons M et al (1994) The New Production of Knowledge. London: Sage.
Frances DH and Sandberg W (2000) Friendship within entrepreneurial teams and its association with team and venture performance, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 25(2): 5-25.
Garnsey E (1998) A Theory of the early growth of the firm, Industrial and Corporate Change 3: 523-556.
Hansen EL (1995) Entrepreneurial networks and new organisation growth, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 19(4): 7-19.
Honig B (2001) Learning strategies and resources for entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 26(1): 21-35.
Howells J (2000) Knowledge, innovation and location, in JR Bryson et al (eds) Knowledge, Space and Economy. London: Routledge.
Howells J and Roberts J (2000) From innovation systems to knowledge systems, Prometheus, 18(1): 17-31.
Kamm JB, Shuman JC, Nurick JA and Aaron J (1990) Entrepreneurial teams in New Venture Creation: A Research Agenda, Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice 14(4): 7-18.
Kanter RM (1989) Careers and the wealth of nations: a macro-perspective on the structure and implications of career forms, in MB Arthur, DT Hall and BS Lawrence (eds) Handbook of Career Theory. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Kolb DA (1984) Experiential Learning. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Mazzucato M (2002) Introduction, in M Mazzucato (ed) Strategy for Business, A Reader. London: Sage.
Mukhtar S-M, Oakey RP and Kipling M (1999) Utilisation of science and technology graduates by the small and medium sized enterprise sector, Education and Training 41(8): 425-436.
Nohria N (1992) Information search in the creation of new ventures, in Nohria N et al, Networks and Organizations. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, pp.241-266.
Nonaka I et al (2000) A firm as a Knowledge-creating entity: a new perspective on the theory of the firm. Industrial and Corporate Change 9(1): 1-20.
Oakey RP (1993) Predatory networking: the role of small firms in the development of the British biotechnology industry, International Small Business Journal 11(4): 9-22.
Oakey R. (1995) High technology new firms: variable barriers to growth, Paul Chapman Publishing, London.
Oakey RP, Mukhtar S-M and Kipling M (2002) (forthcoming) Student perspectives on entrepreneurship: observations on their propensity for entrepreneurial behaviour, International Journal of Innovation Management.
Obermayer JH (1980) Case Studies examining the role of R&D contract funding in the early history of high technology companies. Cambridge MA: Research & Planning Institute.
Polanyi M (1967) The Tacit Dimension. London: Routledge.
Reynolds PD (2000) National panel study of US business start-ups: Background and methodology, Databases for the Study of Entrepreneurship 4: 153-227.
Reynolds, P D et al (2001) Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, www.entreworld.org/bookstore/PDFs/RE-033.pdf.
Revans R. (1980). Action Learning: New Techniques for Managers. London: Blond & Briggs.
Roberts, (1991) "Entrepreneurs in High Technology", Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Schultz, M and M J Hatch (1996) "Living with multiple paradigms: the case of paradigm interplay in organisational culture studies", Academy of Management Review, 21: 529-557.
Rothwell, R (2002) "Towards the fifth-generation innovation process" in J Hendry and D Mayle (eds.) Managing Innovation and Change 2nd edn, pp.115-135.
Rynes, S L, J M Bartunek, R L Daft (2001). Across the great divide: knowledge creation and transfer between practitioners and academics, Academy of Management Journal, 44(2): 340-355.
Shane, S (2000) "Prior knowledge and the discovery of entrepreneurial opportunities", Organization Science, 11(4): 448-469.
Shane, S (2001) "Technology opportunity and firm formation" Management Science, 47(2): 205-220.
Shane, S (2001) "Technology regimes and firm formation" Management Science, 47(9): 1-18.
Shane, S and Cable, D (2001) "Social relationships and the financing of new ventures" Working Paper, University of Maryland, MD, USA.
Shane, S and Stuart, T (forthcoming) "Initial endowments and the performance of university start-ups", Management Science.
Stevenson, H H and Jarillo J C. (1990). A paradigm of Entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial management. Strategic Management Journal, 11: 17-27.
Sullivan R (2000) "Entrepreneurial learning and mentoring", International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour and Research, 6(3): 160-175.
Teach, R D, Tarpley, F A, jr., and Schwartz, R G (1986) Software venture teams. In R Ronstadt, J Hornaday, R Peterson and K Vesper (eds.), Frontiers of Entrepreneurship Research. Wellesley, MA: Babson College.
Tranfield, D and K Starkey (1998) "The nature, social organisation and promotion of management research" British Journal of Management, 9: 341-53.
White Paper (2001) Enterprise Skills and Innovation www.dti.gov.uk/opportunity/forall/pages/.
Whittington R (2001) What is Strategy and does it Matter? 2nd edn. London: International Thomson Business Press.
Yin RK (1994) Case Study Research: Design and Methods 2nd edn. Thousand Oaks: Sage.
eContent Home
