IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/tefoso/v167y2021ics0040162521001256.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Universities as change agents in resource-poor local settings: An empirically grounded typology of engagement models

Author

Listed:
  • Petersen, Il-haam
  • Kruss, Glenda

Abstract

University-community engagement is emerging as an important channel for social innovation, requiring universities to act as change agents in their local settings. The role of change agent presents new challenges for universities as it requires going beyond institutional borders to collaborate with non-traditional partners such as informal enterprises, and to stimulate and support innovation that may be seen as relevant to a given local setting only. Universities are thus grappling with finding suitable mechanisms and models for engaging in institutional contexts that are vastly different from traditional formal university- and firm-based settings. Based on empirically rich case study research in a South African township, the paper presents new conceptual insights on how universities can catalyse social change in resource-poor local settings through strategically selecting mechanisms and models of engagement that align with locally-embedded institutions, practices and needs. Four types of engagement models are identified, each relate to different models of entrepreneurship and innovation and thus different modes of learning. The typology distinguishes between dominant, traditional knowledge transfer models, and emergent, socially responsive models that show greater promise for promoting collective agency and effecting systemic social change. The typology can be used to assess current practice and inform future strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Petersen, Il-haam & Kruss, Glenda, 2021. "Universities as change agents in resource-poor local settings: An empirically grounded typology of engagement models," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:167:y:2021:i:c:s0040162521001256
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120693
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0040162521001256
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.120693?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Edward Lorenz & Erika Kraemer-Mbula, & Lotta Takala-Greenish & Oluseye Jegede & Tukur Garba & Musambya Mutambala & Timothy Esemu, 2019. "Are African micro and small enterprises misunderstood? Unpacking the relationship between work organisation, capability development and innovation," Post-Print hal-01940597, HAL.
    2. Rodrigo Arocena & Judith Sutz, 2000. "Interactive Learning Spaces and Development Policies in Latin America," DRUID Working Papers 00-13, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    3. Edward Lorenz & Erika Kraemer-Mbula, & Lotta Takala-Greenish & Oluseye Jegede & Turkur Garba & Musambya Mutambala, 2019. "Are African micro- and small enterprises misunderstood? Unpacking the relationship between work organisation, capability development and innovation," Post-Print hal-02396448, HAL.
    4. Cajaiba-Santana, Giovany, 2014. "Social innovation: Moving the field forward. A conceptual framework," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 42-51.
    5. Garud, Raghu & Karnoe, Peter, 2003. "Bricolage versus breakthrough: distributed and embedded agency in technology entrepreneurship," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 277-300, February.
    6. Jensen, Morten Berg & Johnson, Bjorn & Lorenz, Edward & Lundvall, Bengt Ake, 2007. "Forms of knowledge and modes of innovation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 680-693, June.
    7. Cooke, Philip, 2001. "Regional Innovation Systems, Clusters, and the Knowledge Economy," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 10(4), pages 945-974, December.
    8. Magnus Klofsten & Alain Fayolle & Maribel Guerrero & Sarfraz Mian & David Urbano & Mike Wright, 2019. "The entrepreneurial university as driver for economic growth and social change : Key strategic challenges," Post-Print hal-02312272, HAL.
    9. Il‐haam Petersen & Glenda Kruss & Michael Gastrow & Patson C. Nalivata, 2018. "Innovation Capacity‐Building and Inclusive Development in Informal Settings: A Comparative Analysis of two Interactive Learning Spaces in South Africa and Malawi," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(5), pages 865-885, July.
    10. Mtawa, Ntimi N. & Fongwa, Samuel N. & Wangenge-Ouma, Gerald, 2016. "The scholarship of university-community engagement: Interrogating Boyer's model," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 126-133.
    11. Susan Cozzens & Judith Sutz, 2014. "Innovation in informal settings: reflections and proposals for a research agenda," Innovation and Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 4(1), pages 5-31, April.
    12. Wakkee, Ingrid & van der Sijde, Peter & Vaupell, Christiaan & Ghuman, Karminder, 2019. "The university's role in sustainable development: Activating entrepreneurial scholars as agents of change," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 195-205.
    13. Bo Göransson & Rasigan Maharajh & Ulrich Schmoch, 2009. "Introduction: New challenges for universities beyond education and research," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 36(2), pages 83-84, March.
    14. Arza, Valeria & van Zwanenberg, Patrick, 2014. "The Politics of Technological Upgrading: International Transfer to and Adaptation of GM Cotton in Argentina," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 521-534.
    15. Haroon Bhorat & François Steenkamp & Christopher Rooney & Nomsa Kachingwe & Adrienne Lees, 2016. "Understanding and characterizing the services sector in South Africa: An overview," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2016-157, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    16. Wilson Suzigan & João Furtado & Renato Garcia, 2007. "Designing Policies for Local Production Systems: A Methodology Based on Evidence from Brazil," Economia, ANPEC - Associação Nacional dos Centros de Pós-Graduação em Economia [Brazilian Association of Graduate Programs in Economics], vol. 8(1), pages 161-186.
    17. Turker, Duygu & Altuntas Vural, Ceren, 2017. "Embedding social innovation process into the institutional context: Voids or supports," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 98-113.
    18. Marco Ferretti & Adele Parmentola, 2015. "The Creation of Local Innovation Systems in Emerging Countries," SpringerBriefs in Regional Science, Springer, edition 127, number 978-3-319-10440-9, July.
    19. Marco Ferretti & Adele Parmentola, 2015. "Local Innovation Systems in Emerging Countries," SpringerBriefs in Regional Science, in: The Creation of Local Innovation Systems in Emerging Countries, edition 127, chapter 0, pages 7-36, Springer.
    20. Klofsten, Magnus & Fayolle, Alain & Guerrero, Maribel & Mian, Sarfraz & Urbano, David & Wright, Mike, 2019. "The entrepreneurial university as driver for economic growth and social change - Key strategic challenges," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 149-158.
    21. Fligstein, Neil, 2001. "Social Skill and the Theory of Fields," Center for Culture, Organizations and Politics, Working Paper Series qt26m187b1, Center for Culture, Organizations and Politics of theInstitute for Research on Labor and Employment, UC Berkeley.
    22. David J. Weerts & Lorilee R. Sandmann, 2010. "Community Engagement and Boundary-Spanning Roles at Research Universities," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 81(6), pages 632-657, November.
    23. José Eduardo Cassiolato & Helena Maria Martins Lastres, 2020. "The framework of ‘local productive and innovation systems’ and its influence on STI policy in Brazil," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(7), pages 784-798, October.
    24. Gregory Trencher & Masaru Yarime & Kes B. McCormick & Christopher N. H. Doll & Steven B. Kraines, 2014. "Beyond the third mission: Exploring the emerging university function of co-creation for sustainability," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 41(2), pages 151-179.
    25. Jayshree S Thakrar, 2018. "University–community engagement as place-making? A case of the University of Fort Hare and Alice," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(5), pages 673-688, September.
    26. Sánchez-Barrioluengo, Mabel & Benneworth, Paul, 2019. "Is the entrepreneurial university also regionally engaged? Analysing the influence of university's structural configuration on third mission performance," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 206-218.
    27. Nick Von Tunzelmann, 2010. "Alignment, Misalignment And Dynamic Network-Based Capabilities," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: David A Dyker (ed.), Network Dynamics In Emerging Regions Of Europe, chapter 1, pages 3-22, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    28. Jeremy de Beer & Kun Fu & Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, 2013. "The informal economy, innovation and intellectual property - Concepts, metrics and policy considerations," WIPO Economic Research Working Papers 10, World Intellectual Property Organization - Economics and Statistics Division.
    29. Erika Kraemer-Mbula & Edward Lorenz & Lotta Takala-Greenish & Oluseye Oladayo Jegede & Tukur Garba & Musambya Mutambala & Timothy Esemu, 2019. "Are African micro- and small enterprises misunderstood? Unpacking the relationship between work organisation, capability development and innovation," International Journal of Technological Learning, Innovation and Development, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 11(1), pages 1-30.
    30. Haroon Bhorat & François Steenkamp & Christopher Rooney & Nomsa Kachingwe & Adrienne Lees, 2016. "Understanding and characterizing the services sector in South Africa," WIDER Working Paper Series 157, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    31. Bjorn Asheim & Helen Lawton Smith & Christine Oughton, 2011. "Regional Innovation Systems: Theory, Empirics and Policy," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(7), pages 875-891.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Eliana Villa-Enciso & Walter Ruiz-Castañeda & Jorge Robledo Velásquez, 2023. "Agent-Based Model to Analyze the Role of the University in Reducing Social Exclusion," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-29, August.
    2. Mira Bekebayeva & Dinmukhamed Kelesbayev & Aripkhan Sadykov & Kuatbek Kalykulov & Yermek Yertayev, 2024. "Analysis and Evaluation of the Image of the University in the Context of the City-University Interaction," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 14(5), pages 158-165, September.
    3. Marcela Aguiar Nogueira & Lais Cristina Costa & Douglas Mol Resende & Victor Rezende Carvalho & Júlia Castro Mendes & Ricardo André Fiorotti Peixoto, 2024. "Mitigating the socioeconomic impacts of the mining industry through Social Technologies: Guidelines for technology transfer between universities and communities," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 31(1), pages 54-68, January.
    4. de Souza João-Roland, Iraci & Granados, Maria L., 2023. "Towards social innovation strategy: An analysis of UK social enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    5. Kajikawa, Yuya & Mejia, Cristian & Wu, Mengjia & Zhang, Yi, 2022. "Academic landscape of Technological Forecasting and Social Change through citation network and topic analyses," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    6. Sharma, Gautam & Dahlstrand, Åsa Lindholm, 2023. "Innovations, informality, and the global south: A thematic analysis of past research and future directions," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Il-haam Petersen & Glenda Kruss & Nicole van Rheede, 2022. "Strengthening the university third mission through building community capabilities alongside university capabilities [In Search of a Developmental University: Community Engagement in Theory and Pra," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 49(6), pages 890-904.
    2. Sharma, Gautam & Dahlstrand, Åsa Lindholm, 2023. "Innovations, informality, and the global south: A thematic analysis of past research and future directions," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    3. Attila Havas & Doris Schartinger & K. Matthias Weber, 2022. "Innovation Studies, Social Innovation, and Sustainability Transitions Research: From mutual ignorance towards an integrative perspective?," CERS-IE WORKING PAPERS 2227, Institute of Economics, Centre for Economic and Regional Studies.
    4. Gaglio, Cyrielle & Kraemer-Mbula, Erika & Lorenz, Edward, 2022. "The effects of digital transformation on innovation and productivity: Firm-level evidence of South African manufacturing micro and small enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    5. M.A. Yurevich, 2021. "Global Transformation of Higher Education: From Traditional to Entrepreneurial University," Journal of Applied Economic Research, Graduate School of Economics and Management, Ural Federal University, vol. 20(3), pages 560-581.
    6. de Obesso, Maria de las Mercedes & Núñez-Canal, Margarita & Pérez-Rivero, Carlos Alberto, 2023. "How do students perceive educators' digital competence in higher education?," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    7. Chan, Yolande E. & Krishnamurthy, Rashmi & Sadreddin, Arman, 2022. "Digitally-enabled university incubation processes," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    8. Meissner, Dirk & Zhou, Yuan & Fischer, Bruno & Vonortas, Nicholas, 2022. "A multilayered perspective on entrepreneurial universities: looking into the dynamics of joint university-industry labs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    9. Plantinga, Paul, 2021. "Innovation and the Public Service: Facilitating Inclusive Industrial and Social Development," SocArXiv qcdjg_v1, Center for Open Science.
    10. Rosangela Feola & Roberto Parente & Valentina Cucino, 2021. "The Entrepreneurial University: How to Develop the Entrepreneurial Orientation of Academia," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 12(4), pages 1787-1808, December.
    11. Messina, Lisa & Miller, Kristel & Galbraith, Brendan & Hewitt-Dundas, Nola, 2022. "A recipe for USO success? Unravelling the micro-foundations of dynamic capability building to overcome critical junctures," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    12. Kaplinsky, Raphael & Kraemer-Mbula, Erika, 2022. "Innovation and uneven development: The challenge for low- and middle-income economies," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(2).
    13. Elvis Korku Avenyo & Fiona Tregenna & Erika Kraemer-Mbula, 2021. "Do Productive Capabilities Affect Export Performance? Evidence from African Firms," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 33(2), pages 304-329, April.
    14. Björn T. Asheim & Markus Grillitsch & Michaela Trippl, 2016. "Regional innovation systems: past – present – future," Chapters, in: Richard Shearmu & Christophe Carrincazeaux & David Doloreux (ed.), Handbook on the Geographies of Innovation, chapter 2, pages 45-62, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    15. Roberta Capello & Camilla Lenzi, 2018. "The dynamics of regional learning paradigms and trajectories," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(4), pages 727-748, September.
    16. Roncancio-Marin, Jason & Dentchev, Nikolay & Guerrero, Maribel & Díaz-González, Abel & Crispeels, Thomas, 2022. "University-Industry joint undertakings with high societal impact: A micro-processes approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    17. Lars Coenen & Bjørn Asheim & Markus M Bugge & Sverre J Herstad, 2017. "Advancing regional innovation systems: What does evolutionary economic geography bring to the policy table?," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 35(4), pages 600-620, June.
    18. Havas, Attila, 2016. "Recent economic theorising on innovation: Lessons for analysing social innovation," MPRA Paper 77385, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Smita Srinivas, 2020. "Institutional variety and the future of economics," Review of Evolutionary Political Economy, Springer, vol. 1(1), pages 13-35, May.
    20. Plantinga, Paul, 2021. "Innovation and the Public Service: Facilitating Inclusive Industrial and Social Development," SocArXiv qcdjg, Center for Open Science.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:167:y:2021:i:c:s0040162521001256. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00401625 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.