IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/sbusec/v63y2024i2d10.1007_s11187-023-00858-z.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Re-viewing the entrepreneurial university: strategic challenges and theory building opportunities

Author

Listed:
  • Maribel Guerrero

    (Arizona State University
    Universidad del Desarrollo)

  • Alain Fayolle

    (IDRAC Business School
    Turku School of Economics)

  • Maria Chiara Di Guardo

    (University of Cagliari)

  • Wadid Lamine

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Sarfraz Mian

    (State University of New York SUNY)

Abstract

Influenced by the neo-liberal economic perspective, in which universities are evaluated based on their contribution to society, the term “Entrepreneurial University” (EU) emerged in the early 1980s. The entrepreneurial university has evolved as a “natural” incubator supporting entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainability in the university community (e.g., students, alumni, staff, and academics) and beyond civic engagement. Over the last four decades, academic debates on why and how higher education organizations could play this key role have become increasingly important in the business and management literature. It has motivated several special issues published in multidisciplinary academic journals, literature reviews, and theoretical-empirical contributions. However, there is a defragmentation of the literature given the unique nature of each entrepreneurial university during the current decade and the forced transformation of entrepreneurial organizations due to new (technological and health) paradigms. Therefore, this new decade opens the door for re-viewing the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence of entrepreneurial universities. Inspired by these universities’ challenges, this special issue represented a unique opportunity to build a novel theory that provides an updated theoretical view of the entrepreneurial university phenomenon (e.g., re-conceptualization, re-view missions, re-view business models, re-view metrics), as well as to offer new insights about how the new paradigms have transformed core entrepreneurial university activities (education, research, technology transfer, and entrepreneurship), strategies, and interconnectedness with ecosystems. This introductory paper encouraged an in-depth multidisciplinary conversation within the management and related research community from different socio-economic settings to make theoretical and empirical contributions. As a result, six papers have contributed to this special issue and provide several implications for different stakeholders. Plain English Summary Over the last four decades, academic debates on why and how higher education organizations could play this key role have become increasingly important in the business and management literature. It has motivated several special issues published in multidisciplinary academic journals, literature reviews, and theoretical-empirical contributions. However, there is a defragmentation of the literature given the unique nature of each entrepreneurial university during the current decade and the forced transformation of entrepreneurial organizations due to new (technological and health) paradigms. Therefore, this new decade opens the door for re-viewing the theoretical foundations and empirical evidence of entrepreneurial universities. Inspired by these universities’ challenges, this special issue represented a unique opportunity to build a novel theory that provides an updated theoretical view of the entrepreneurial university phenomenon.

Suggested Citation

  • Maribel Guerrero & Alain Fayolle & Maria Chiara Di Guardo & Wadid Lamine & Sarfraz Mian, 2024. "Re-viewing the entrepreneurial university: strategic challenges and theory building opportunities," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 527-548, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:63:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11187-023-00858-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11187-023-00858-z
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11187-023-00858-z
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11187-023-00858-z?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. David B. Audretsch & Maksim Belitski, 2022. "A strategic alignment framework for the entrepreneurial university," Industry and Innovation, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 29(2), pages 285-309, February.
    2. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano, 2012. "The development of an entrepreneurial university," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 43-74, February.
    3. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano, 2019. "Effectiveness of technology transfer policies and legislation in fostering entrepreneurial innovations across continents: an overview," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(5), pages 1347-1366, October.
    4. Sohvi Heaton & Donald S Siegel & David J Teece, 2019. "Universities and innovation ecosystems: a dynamic capabilities perspective," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 28(4), pages 921-939.
    5. Satish Nambisan, 2017. "Digital Entrepreneurship: Toward a Digital Technology Perspective of Entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 41(6), pages 1029-1055, November.
    6. Ademar Schmitz & David Urbano & Gertrudes Aparecida Dandolini & João Artur Souza & Maribel Guerrero, 2017. "Innovation and entrepreneurship in the academic setting: a systematic literature review," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 369-395, June.
    7. Peter T. Gianiodis & William R. Meek, 2020. "Entrepreneurial education for the entrepreneurial university: a stakeholder perspective," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 1167-1195, August.
    8. Sohvi Heaton & David Lewin & David J. Teece, 2020. "Managing campus entrepreneurship: Dynamic capabilities and university leadership," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(6), pages 1126-1140, September.
    9. James A. Cunningham & Erik E. Lehmann & Matthias Menter, 2022. "The organizational architecture of entrepreneurial universities across the stages of entrepreneurship: a conceptual framework," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 59(1), pages 11-27, June.
    10. Guerrero, Maribel & Pugh, Rhiannon, 2022. "Entrepreneurial universities’ metamorphosis: Encountering technological and emotional disruptions in the COVID-19 ERA," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    11. Yuan-Chieh Chang & Po-Hsuan Chen & Min-Jun Teng, 2021. "Erratum to: How do institutional changes facilitate university-centric networks in Taiwan? The triple-helix model of innovation view," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(4), pages 602-603.
    12. Maribel Guerrero Cano & David Urbano & David Kirby, 2006. "A Literature Review on Entreprenuerial Universities: An Institutional Approach," Working Papers 0608, Departament Empresa, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, revised Jun 2006.
    13. Maribel Guerrero & Francisco Liñán & F. Rafael Cáceres-Carrasco, 2021. "The influence of ecosystems on the entrepreneurship process: a comparison across developed and developing economies," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 57(4), pages 1733-1759, December.
    14. Guerrero, Maribel & Heaton, Sohvi & Urbano, David, 2021. "Building universities’ intrapreneurial capabilities in the digital era: The role and impacts of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    15. David Audretsch, 2014. "From the entrepreneurial university to the university for the entrepreneurial society," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 313-321, June.
    16. Schaeffer, Paola Rücker & Guerrero, Maribel & Fischer, Bruno Brandão, 2021. "Mutualism in ecosystems of innovation and entrepreneurship: A bidirectional perspective on universities’ linkages," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 184-197.
    17. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano & Fernando Herrera, 2019. "Innovation practices in emerging economies: Do university partnerships matter?," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 615-646, April.
    18. Henry Etzkowitz & Chunyan Zhou, 2008. "Introduction to special issue Building the entrepreneurial university: a global perspective," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 35(9), pages 627-635, November.
    19. Audretsch, David Bruce & Belitski, Maksim & Guerrero, Maribel, 2023. "Sustainable orientation management and institutional quality: Looking into European entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    20. Wadid Lamine & Sarfraz Mian & Alain Fayolle & Mike Wright & Magnus Klofsten & Henry Etzkowitz, 2018. "Technology business incubation mechanisms and sustainable regional development," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 43(5), pages 1121-1141, October.
    21. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano & Alain Fayolle & Magnus Klofsten & Sarfraz Mian, 2016. "Entrepreneurial universities: emerging models in the new social and economic landscape," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(3), pages 551-563, October.
    22. Maria Di Guardo & Kathryn Harrigan, 2012. "Mapping research on strategic alliances and innovation: a co-citation analysis," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(6), pages 789-811, December.
    23. Alain Fayolle & Dana T. Redford, 2014. "Handbook On The Entrepreneurial University," Post-Print hal-02298194, HAL.
    24. Shiri Breznitz & Maryann Feldman, 2012. "The engaged university," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 37(2), pages 139-157, April.
    25. Mike Wright & Sue Birley & Simon Mosey, 2004. "Entrepreneurship and University Technology Transfer," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 29(3_4), pages 235-246, August.
    26. Dean A. Shepherd, 2020. "COVID 19 and Entrepreneurship: Time to Pivot?," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 57(8), pages 1750-1753, December.
    27. Frank T. Rothaermel & Shanti D. Agung & Lin Jiang, 2007. "University entrepreneurship: a taxonomy of the literature," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 16(4), pages 691-791, August.
    28. Autio, Erkko & Kenney, Martin & Mustar, Philippe & Siegel, Don & Wright, Mike, 2014. "Entrepreneurial innovation: The importance of context," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1097-1108.
    29. Yuan-Chieh Chang & Po-Hsuan Chen & Min-Jun Teng, 2021. "How do institutional changes facilitate university-centric networks in Taiwan? The Triple Helix model of innovation view," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 48(3), pages 309-324.
    30. Elvira Cerver Romero & João J. M. Ferreira & Cristina I. Fernandes, 2021. "The multiple faces of the entrepreneurial university: a review of the prevailing theoretical approaches," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 1173-1195, August.
    31. David C. Mowery & Scott Shane, 2002. "Introduction to the Special Issue on University Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 48(1), pages 1-1, January.
    32. Manuel Castriotta & Michela Loi & Elona Marku & Ludovica Moi, 2021. "Disentangling the corporate entrepreneurship construct: conceptualizing through co-words," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 126(4), pages 2821-2863, April.
    33. Charles E. Eesley & David H. Hsu & Edward B. Roberts, 2014. "The contingent effects of top management teams on venture performance: Aligning founding team composition with innovation strategy and commercialization environment," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(12), pages 1798-1817, December.
    34. Sohvi Heaton & David Teece & Eugene Agronin, 2023. "Dynamic capabilities and governance: An empirical investigation of financial performance of the higher education sector," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(2), pages 520-548, February.
    35. Guerrero, Maribel & Cunningham, James A. & Urbano, David, 2015. "Economic impact of entrepreneurial universities’ activities: An exploratory study of the United Kingdom," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(3), pages 748-764.
    36. Maximilian Unger & Giulia Ajmone Marsan & Dirk Meissner & Wolfgang Polt & Mario Cervantes, 2020. "New challenges for universities in the knowledge triangle," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 806-819, June.
    37. Liu, Yipeng & Huang, Qihai, 2018. "University capability as a micro-foundation for the Triple Helix model: The case of China," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 76, pages 40-50.
    38. Charles E. Eesley & Yong Suk Lee, 2021. "Do university entrepreneurship programs promote entrepreneurship?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(4), pages 833-861, April.
    39. Maribel Guerrero & Matías Lira, 2023. "Entrepreneurial university ecosystem’s engagement with SDGs: looking into a Latin-American University," Community Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 337-352, May.
    40. Mike Wright & Donald S. Siegel & Philippe Mustar, 2017. "An emerging ecosystem for student start-ups," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 909-922, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Maribel Guerrero & Matthias Menter, 2024. "Driving change in higher education: the role of dynamic capabilities in strengthening universities’ third mission," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 1321-1337, October.
    2. Guerrero, Maribel & Pugh, Rhiannon, 2022. "Entrepreneurial universities’ metamorphosis: Encountering technological and emotional disruptions in the COVID-19 ERA," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    3. Flores, Maria Cecilia & Grimaldi, Rosa & Poli, Silvia & Villani, Elisa, 2024. "Entrepreneurial universities and intrapreneurship: A process model on the emergence of an intrapreneurial university," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Centobelli, Piera & Cerchione, Roberto & Esposito, Emilio & Shashi,, 2019. "Exploration and exploitation in the development of more entrepreneurial universities: A twisting learning path model of ambidexterity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 172-194.
    5. Riviezzo, Angelo & Santos, Susana C. & Liñán, Francisco & Napolitano, Maria Rosaria & Fusco, Floriana, 2019. "European universities seeking entrepreneurial paths: the moderating effect of contextual variables on the entrepreneurial orientation-performance relationship," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 232-248.
    6. Audretsch, David B. & Belitski, Maksim & Scarra, Deepa, 2024. "Intrapreneurship activity and access to finance in natural science: Evidence from the UK academic spinoffs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    7. Davide Hahn & Tommaso Minola & Silvio Vismara & Daniel Agyare, 2024. "Do exploration and exploitation in university research drive early-stage equity financing of university spin-offs?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 627-653, August.
    8. Jurgita Staniulyte, 2022. "Towards the entrepreneurial university: the principal-agent problem," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(5), pages 2971-2988, October.
    9. Henry, Colette & Lahikainen, Katja, 2024. "Exploring Intrapreneurial Activities in the Context of the Entrepreneurial University: An analysis of five EU HEIs," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    10. Guerrero, Maribel & Heaton, Sohvi & Urbano, David, 2021. "Building universities’ intrapreneurial capabilities in the digital era: The role and impacts of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    11. Forliano, Canio & De Bernardi, Paola & Yahiaoui, Dorra, 2021. "Entrepreneurial universities: A bibliometric analysis within the business and management domains," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    12. Maribel Guerrero & David Urbano & Fernando Herrera, 2019. "Innovation practices in emerging economies: Do university partnerships matter?," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 44(2), pages 615-646, April.
    13. Lundqvist, Mats & Williams-Middleton, Karen, 2024. "Making the whole university entrepreneurial – decades of legitimacy-building through Chalmers School of Entrepreneurship," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    14. 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.
    15. Bernd Wurth & Niall G. MacKenzie & Susan Howick, 2024. "Not seeing the forest for the trees? A systems approach to the entrepreneurial university," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 1-24, August.
    16. Diamanto Politis & Lise Aaboen & Ann Elida Eide & Dag Håkon Haneberg, 2024. "Re-viewing entrepreneurial universities through alumni engagement," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(2), pages 655-671, August.
    17. Guerrero, Maribel & Siegel, Donald S., 2024. "Schumpeter meets Teece: Proposed metrics for assessing entrepreneurial innovation and dynamic capabilities in entrepreneurial ecosystems in an emerging economy," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 53(5).
    18. Guindalini, Camila & Verreynne, Martie-Louise & Kastelle, Tim, 2021. "Taking scientific inventions to market: Mapping the academic entrepreneurship ecosystem," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    19. Charlene L. Nicholls-Nixon & Dave Valliere & Steven A. Gedeon & Sean Wise, 2021. "Entrepreneurial ecosystems and the lifecycle of university business incubators: An integrative case study," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 809-837, June.
    20. Domicián Máté & Ni Made Estiyanti & Adam Novotny, 2024. "How to support innovative small firms? Bibliometric analysis and visualization of start-up incubation," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 13(1), pages 1-26, December.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Entrepreneurial universities; Entrepreneurial universities’ core activities; Entrepreneurial universities’ strategic perspective; Entrepreneurial universities ecosystems;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:kap:sbusec:v:63:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11187-023-00858-z. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    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.