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Entrepreneurial universities in two European regions: a case study comparison

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  • Maribel Guerrero
  • David Urbano
  • James Cunningham
  • Damien Organ

Abstract

An entrepreneurial university is a natural incubator that tries to provide a supportive environment in which the university community can explore, evaluate and exploit ideas that could be transformed into social and economic entrepreneurial initiatives. Entrepreneurial universities are involved in partnerships, networks and other relationships to generate an umbrella for interaction, collaboration and co-operation. Rapid developments in science, the multidisciplinary nature of frontier research, legislative changes such as the Bayh–Dole Act and demands from business and society have shaped knowledge-based entrepreneurship within universities. Despite sharing similar historical backgrounds, economic conditions and cultural and social structures, entrepreneurial universities in most countries remain distinct from one another by their institutional arrangements, traditions and characteristics unique to each organization. Interestingly, no comparative research has been conducted to understand the similarities and differences of the conditioning factors and the outcomes/outputs of entrepreneurial universities in different regions that share similar social, economic and political conditions. This paper addresses this research deficit, adopting institutional economics and resource-based view. We compare entrepreneurial universities in two European regions (Spain and Ireland) using an in-depth qualitative approach based on multiple case studies (two Spanish universities and two Irish universities) between 2006 and 2010. The findings provide organizational practices and approaches relevant to the transformation process of other regional universities seeking to become entrepreneurial. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano & James Cunningham & Damien Organ, 2014. "Entrepreneurial universities in two European regions: a case study comparison," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 415-434, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jtecht:v:39:y:2014:i:3:p:415-434
    DOI: 10.1007/s10961-012-9287-2
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurial universities; Institutional economics; Resource-based view; Europe; M13; L26; I23; I28;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M13 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - New Firms; Startups
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I28 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Government Policy

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