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It is not because it is offered that it is used: an investigation into firm-level determinants of use intensity of buffering services in science parks

Author

Listed:
  • Laura Lecluyse

    (Ghent University
    Ideaconsult)

  • Mirjam Knockaert

    (Ghent University
    Technical University of Munich)

  • Annelore Huyghe

    (Universitat Ramon Llull)

Abstract

Science parks are a type of organizational sponsorship initiative aimed at generating resource-munificent environments through the provision of bridging and buffering services. While extant research has studied the relationship between these services and firm outcomes, it has neglected to provide insights into when tenant firms utilize these services to a greater or lesser extent. Our study evaluates science parks’ buffering mechanism and identifies firm-level characteristics affecting tenants’ use intensity of buffering services. To do so, we build upon survey data collected from 201 tenant firms located in science parks in three European countries. Taking a resource dependence perspective, our findings indicate that tenants’ managerial resources (particularly top management team size and functional experience) and boundary-spanning capacity jointly determine the extent to which firms rely upon the science park’s buffering mechanism. This study contributes to the organizational sponsorship, resource dependence, and science park literatures, as well as has important practical implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Laura Lecluyse & Mirjam Knockaert & Annelore Huyghe, 2023. "It is not because it is offered that it is used: an investigation into firm-level determinants of use intensity of buffering services in science parks," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 85-104, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:61:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s11187-022-00678-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-022-00678-7
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    Cited by:

    1. FUKUGAWA Nobuya & CHANG Kuo-I, 2025. "Science Parks in Taiwan and Their Value-adding Contributions," Discussion papers 25005, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Science parks; Buffering; Resource dependence; Organizational sponsorship;
    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
    • L52 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Industrial Policy; Sectoral Planning Methods

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