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A service incubator business model: external networking orientation
... Although the extant literature has shown that the incubator's mediation of interorganisational relationships is an important supportive function, how it actually develops the business networks of incubator firms has been given less attention. Accordingly, a research area requiring further attention is the incubator's facilitation of internal and external networking for incubator firms and how the networks relate to each other (Cantú, 2015(Cantú, , 2017Sá & Lee, 2012). This paper examines how the incubator's mediation is related to incubator firms' development of broader business networks. ...
... However, as Soetanto and Jack (2016) propose, knowledge of incubators and incubation practice remains fragmented. For example, a shift in incubators towards intangible and high-value services has been observed (Cantú, 2015;Grimaldi & Grandi, 2005;Hoang & Antoncic, 2003). Moreover, previous studies have tended to discuss three generations of incubators: the first focusing on job creation and finding tenants for office buildings (cf. ...
... Etzkowitz, 2008;Kitigawa & Robertson, 2012). Cantú (2015) notes that more efforts have been made to describe interorganisational interactions in incubators as well as the networking of incubator firms beyond the mediated relationships. Sá and Lee (2012) suggest that different kinds of networks are created in the incubator environment and that not all network structures will be helpful for business development. ...
Incubators are organisations or structures that usually offer five types of services in order to accelerate start-up development: access to physical resources, administrative services, access to financial resources, assistance with start-up procedures and access to networks. The aim of the present paper is to investigate the mediating role of the incubator. More specifically, it examines how the incubator's mediation is related to incubator firms' development of broader business networks. The primary data comprised 34 face-to-face interviews with 19 respondents from an incubator and its incubator firms and with other actors with which the incubator had a relationship. The paper offers three conclusions concerning how the network horizon influences the incubator's capacity to mediate relationships, the necessity for incubator firms to be proactive in order to utilise the mediation activities of the incubator and the influence of public-funding agencies in the development of incubator firms, which is based on their role as third actors in connected business relationships.
... The concept of business model has been extensively applied to businesses and startups (Amit and Zott, 2012). However, the literature is rather silent on the application of the concept to business incubators (Aggarval et al, 2011;Chandra and Silva, 2012;Cantù, 2015), although business incubators face challenges similar to that of their tenants, such as unique value propositions, sustainable revenue streams, key resources, partnerships and sustainability (Lalkaka, 2000). Hence, the aim of this paper is to review previous research on business incubators and business models, and offer research propositions to promote future theory development and move the field of business incubation forward. ...
... However, government sponsorship is not a sustainable model under economic and political fluctuation, and incubators need to find more sustainable funding to ensure their operation (Chandra and Silva, 2012). Given that business model enables the construction and sustained operation of techno-economic networks of innovation (Doganova and Eyquem-Renault, 2009), and that they help to explain, run, and develop an organization's operations (Spieth et al, 2014), research on business models of incubators has been sparse (Aggarval et al, 2011;Chandra and Silva, 2012;Cantù, 2015). ...
... Given that business incubators are networks or ecosystems aimed to foster entrepreneurship and that they are increasingly linked with other incubators both domestically and internationally, it is not a surprise that recent research has called for more research on business models of incubators from the network perspective. For example, Cantù (2015) investigated the business model of an incubator founded on external networking, and claimed that there has been insufficient attention on networks among incubators, incubatees, and other stakeholders. Studies have attempted to describe the value-creation components of incubators (e.g., Vanderstraeten and Matthyssens, 2012) and have classified incubators into archetypes for comparison purposes (e.g. ...
A large body of research has explored business incubators as mechanisms to support entrepreneurship. Business incubation is considered a valuable entrepreneurship tool to support the survival and growth of new ventures, as incubators provide access to office space, business advisory support, management guidance, educational programs, mentor networks, and other resources. Previous literature suggests that the evolution of the concept of business incubation can be regrouped into three generations. The first generation in the 1980s focused on real assets such as affordable space and shared facilities, and emphasized job creation. The second generation in the 1990s added intangible services such as support services, business advisory services and networking. Since the dotcom crash of the early 2000s, the third generation business incubators have put more emphasis on proactive support, mentoring and coaching, business acceleration and network development in addition to typical services from the prior generations.
Although business incubation practices originated in developed economies, many emerging economies have adopted this mechanism to support entrepreneurship as a key component of their social and economic development. Clearly, business incubation has become an important element of the entrepreneurship ecosystem both in developed and emerging economies. In spite of the growing literature on business incubation, this field of research suffers from several deficiencies, some stemming from a lack of an accepted definition of the term as well as its many variations over the years. Further, most of the existing research in the field of incubation concerns incubator organizations located in developed western countries such as the U.S. and Western Europe, although China, Brazil and India for instance have all experienced a rapid growth of incubators over the last decade. Unresolved issues that remain around best organizational models, practices, effectiveness and impacts are providing stimulating avenues for future research.
The concept of business model has been extensively applied to businesses and startups. However, the literature is rather silent on the application of the concept to business incubators. Yet business incubators face challenges similar to that of their tenants, such as unique value propositions, revenue streams, key resources, partnerships and sustainability. Scale and speed of changes globally are creating complex business environments for startups. Hence, it is imperative that business incubators evolve their business model to successfully steer their startup tenants across the tumultuous waters.
The objective of our paper is to ascertain past and current areas of research on business incubators. We then present a conceptual research framework from a business model theoretical lens to move the field forward and promote future theory development. Our contribution to the field is to enrich our understanding of how a business model perspective can enhance the evolution of business incubators, which, in turn, could lead to a fourth generation model of business incubators.
... Also, the context in France is being discussed in Theodoraki et al. (2020). While Binsawad et al. (2019) propose a methodology for measuring the performance of incubators whereas, Le Dinh et al. (2018), Hansen et al. (2000) and Cantù (2015) offer models which puts emphasis on networking. Eshun (2009) comes up with the strategical issues on business incubation, whereas Fong (2022) directly deals with the process design of these mechanisms. ...
... While incubators in digital entrepreneurship are often hailed as engines of innovation and support, it's essential to recognize that they also come with their share of limitations and challenges. As startups navigate the intricate landscape of launching and scaling their ventures, they may encounter various drawbacks associated with incubator programs (Cantù, 2015). From potential conflicts of interest to limitations in terms of resources and mentorship quality, these cons can pose significant obstacles to the success of aspiring entrepreneurs. ...
The study will initially include information about incubation mechanisms and the nature of digital entrepreneurship. A detailed literature review is going to be conducted and former studies are going to be examined in terms of their context, methodology, and findings in detail. Better performing systems are going to be promoted and their procedures are going to be used in implications for the practitioners. Besides these, focus will be on access to resources, mentorship and guidance, networking opportunities, validation and credibility, access to finance and funding opportunities, support programs, and lastly, collaboration occasion in terms of the pros of the incubator mechanisms. On the other hand, equity stake, lack of autonomy, project evaluation criteria, competitiveness and time constrains, dependency, and mismatched expectations are going to be examined in detail as cons of these mechanisms. Later on, conceptual framework is going to be constructed in terms of the qualifications of incubators, their procedures, and advantages besides their handicaps.
... The other two items, "networking" and "new ventures" have occurred three times. An example of the first connection is the study of Cantù (2015). In the researcher's work, the motivation of a new business model, for an incubator and based on external networking, has been explored (Cantù 2015). ...
... An example of the first connection is the study of Cantù (2015). In the researcher's work, the motivation of a new business model, for an incubator and based on external networking, has been explored (Cantù 2015). ...
Business incubators hatch start-ups, helping them to survive their early stage and to create a solid foundation for sustainable growth by providing services and access to knowledge. The great practical relevance led to a strong interest of researchers and a high output of scholarly publications, which made the field complex and scattered. To organize the research on incubators and provide a systematic overview of the field, we conducted bibliometric performance analyses and science mappings. The performance analyses depict the temporal development of the number of incubator publications and their citations, the most cited and most productive journals, countries , and authors, and the 20 most cited articles. The author keyword co-occurrence analysis distinguishes six, and the bibliographic coupling seven research themes. Based on a content analysis of the science mappings, we propose a research framework for future research on business incubators.
... Different typologies for the concept are found in the literature (Rask and Bøllingtoft, 2008). Cantù (2015) identifies three generations of business incubator research. While the first generation understands business incubation only as the provision of space to new ventures (Lindholm-Dahlstrand and Klofsten, 2002), the second generation refers to specialised services to entrepreneurial companies (Engelman et al., 2015). ...
... By taking up the idea from the third generation of business incubation research (Cantù, 2015), our definition of "business networking" is based upon the social capital theory, with the following understanding: firstly, Coleman (1990) emphasises the value of social structures as resources through which actors approach their goals. Secondly, interaction between actors with different interests and access to respectively control over resources will result over time in embedded social systems (Smelser and Swedberg, 2005;Coleman, 1990). ...
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss business incubation to enter foreign markets in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) countries through the lens of an “international business incubator” (IBI). International market expansion offers huge opportunities for companies to increase their revenue, but there are also challenging tasks such as the establishment of a business company and the occupation of a strategic position abroad. Practitioners consider this process as the act of incubation, but the theoretical discussion lags behind the practice-led debate.
Design/methodology/approach
An illustrative, and theory-led, case study is presented that describes market expansion to BRIC countries through a network-based IBI. The empirical case is an illustrative Danish company with international operations in BRIC countries both with and without an IBI.
Findings
International business incubation represents a process, which can be influenced through an IBI, and business networking during foreign market entry is shaped by IBI brokerage (bridging, bonding and protecting) in different phases. IBI activities that are embedded in business networking support a company’s endeavours in getting a foothold and acquiring a strategic position in BRIC markets and facilitates the market penetration.
Research limitations/implications
The IBI’s activities to enter foreign markets should be thoroughly managed. Further studies should be conducted with cross-case comparisons and larger samples to reflect on the propositions established.
Originality/value
By linking the business networking theory with the practice-led understanding of business incubation, the study explores an under-conceptualised topic for international business and entrepreneurship scholars. The paper offers an initial understanding of how brokerage interacts with incubation during the entry of new markets.
... Different typologies for the concept are found in the literature (Rask and Bøllingtoft, 2008). Cantù (2015) identifies three generations of business incubator research. While the first generation understands business incubation only as the provision of space to new ventures (Lindholm-Dahlstrand and Klofsten, 2002), the second generation refers to specialised services to entrepreneurial companies (Engelman et al., 2015). ...
... By taking up the idea from the third generation of business incubation research (Cantù, 2015), our definition of "business networking" is based upon the social capital theory, with the following understanding: firstly, Coleman (1990) emphasises the value of social structures as resources through which actors approach their goals. Secondly, interaction between actors with different interests and access to respectively control over resources will result over time in embedded social systems (Smelser and Swedberg, 2005;Coleman, 1990). ...
Purpose-This paper aims to discuss business incubation to enter foreign markets in Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) countries through the lens of an "international business incubator" (IBI). International market expansion offers huge opportunities for companies to increase their revenue, but there are also challenging tasks such as the establishment of a business company and the occupation of a strategic position abroad. Practitioners consider this process as the act of incubation, but the theoretical discussion lags behind the practice-led debate. Design/methodology/approach-An illustrative, and theory-led, case study is presented that describes market expansion to BRIC countries through a network-based IBI. The empirical case is an illustrative Danish company with international operations in BRIC countries both with and without an IBI. Findings-International business incubation represents a process, which can be influenced through an IBI, and business networking during foreign market entry is shaped by IBI brokerage (bridging, bonding and protecting) in different phases. IBI activities that are embedded in business networking support a company's endeavours in getting a foothold and acquiring a strategic position in BRIC markets and facilitates the market penetration. Research limitations/implications-The IBI's activities to enter foreign markets should be thoroughly managed. Further studies should be conducted with cross-case comparisons and larger samples to reflect on the propositions established. Originality/value-By linking the business networking theory with the practice-led understanding of business incubation, the study explores an under-conceptualised topic for international business and entrepreneurship scholars. The paper offers an initial understanding of how brokerage interacts with incubation during the entry of new markets.
... According to the guidelines of the European Commission, a business incubator is an institution where entrepreneurs can find professional knowledge and assistance in creating business plans and developing business strategies for enterprises, as well as in creating innovative solutions related to the implementation of new technologies [43][44][45]. Very often, technological business incubators are located at universities. Moreover, there are also so-called incubators on electronic platforms via Internet services [46][47][48][49]. ...
... In each stage of the incubation process, we should be able to distinguish various activities. [10,56], especially the demand-pull and technology-pull innovations [45,47]. ...
This paper consists of a detailed comprehensive analysis of the client company satisfaction of services received at business incubator centers in the United States (USA) and Poland. This paper also includes how clients rated the importance of different services, which were provided to them at two business incubator centers; clients were generally satisfied with the services they received from the business incubators. Some services were not offered at both incubators to the same extent, which created discrepancy in the assessment results. The clients at the CAN-BE business incubator center already received extensive help from volunteers as well as Penn State faculty and students. However, the highest priority is still assigned to further increase those services. The client companies at the TECHNOPARK business incubator center received very limited help from volunteers, faculty, and students, as they assigned a low priority to those resources. The reason for that may be a lack of exposure and lack of understanding of the extremely valuable services provided by an incubation center. The aim of this article is to compare, analyze, and evaluate the operation of the GLIWICE TECHNOPARK and Hazleton, PA, USA incubation centers from a client satisfaction point of view.
... The program also provides incubation with start-up consultation and business planning, consultation in all important areas to business development and growth consultation for and / or access to financing, training and networking. Cantu (2015) incubator maintain start-up evolution"primarily provide network support. Incubator supports a variety of network level, not only at the level of internal (incubators and incubatees), but also the external (local and international), as shown in the cases analyzed. ...
... Business Incubator also became a meeting place for practitioners, in which they exchange information and knowledge. Cantu (2015) The role transformation from incubator highlighting their role as science mediator which supports the incorporation of a wide range of science with external actor who had meso and macro network. Business incubator is a company external opportunities. ...
... Several previous studies were used as references in this research, such as the business model by Cantù (2015), Daly (2017), Hossain (2017), Philipson (2016), Sandberg (2013). The innovation by Allio (2005), Bukowitz (2013), Johannessen (1994), Oke (2007), Sousa (2006). ...
Purpose
This paper aims to review and synthesise the recent advancements in the business model literature and explore how firms approach business model innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of business model innovation literature was carried out by analysing 219 papers published between 2010 and 2016.
Findings
Evidence reviewed suggests that rather than taking either an evolutionary process of continuous revision, adaptation and fine-tuning of the existing business model or a revolutionary process of replacing the existing business model, firms can explore alternative business models through experimentation, open and disruptive innovations. It was also found that changing business models encompasses modifying a single element, altering multiple elements simultaneously, and/or changing the interactions between elements in four areas of innovation: value proposition, operational value, human capital and financial value.
Originality/value
The conflicting approaches exist in the literature on how firms change their business models, this review synthesises these approaches and provide a clear guidance as to the ways through which business model innovation can be undertaken.
... The importance of the role of the business incubator in the development of MSMEs is not always followed by the condition that MSMEs are able and willing to follow the entire process of business incubation itself, many MSMEs which do not carry out the incubation process until the process is completed, which ultimately impacts on the failure of the incubation program and the failure of the MSME business to grow and develop (Beats, 2013). The role of business incubator will be a maximum also depends on the human resources involved in it, according to Xu (2010), Petrucci (2018), Redondo & Camarero (2017) and Cantu (2015) states that the reach pre-incubated better, the incubator manager must be competent, qualified, and highly skilled. The greater the manager's experience in the world of business and entrepreneurship, the greater the ability to assist business and networking activities in an incubator. ...
Business incubators have an important role in the local economy as an outcome of the value creation coming from maintaining and developing micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) which are innovative and growing rapidly. The purpose of this research is to build a model that can be used for the business incubator management process in the universities, thereby getting the optimal role in developing new entrepreneurs and MSMEs, especially in Indonesia. This model is also expected to be used to develop business incubators internationally. The originality of this research lies in the creation of a business incubator role model. The research method uses a literature review of the outcomes of previous studies and of obtaining business incubator information managed by 69 universities in Indonesia. The research is generating a model composed of several stages in order to optimize the role of a university business incubator in dividing the incubation stage into three stages/phases: Pre-Incubation, Incubation, and Post-Incubation.
... It has been observed that an incubator's network horizon can enable or constrain the development of the start-up's network (Shih & Aaboen, 2019). By adopting an external networking orientation (Cantù, 2015), incubators should provide network contacts for the incubates, and develop their own networking strategies, building relationships in the broader network in which they are embedded (Baraldi & Ingemansson-Havenvid, 2016). ...
As a research field, entrepreneurship emerged from an increasing interest in fostering new business ventures. Over the past decade, interest in entrepreneurial phenomena also triggered several studies in the IMP research stream. We examine connections between these two research streams in terms of the phenomena in focus, key concepts, and approaches to identify research areas fruitful for advancing our understanding of entrepreneurial phenomena. In pursuit of this aim, we analyzed 48 IMP-based entrepreneurship studies and the abstracts of the 227 most cited papers in eight main entrepreneurship journals; among the latter, we conducted an in-depth analysis of 30 articles, in which we found connections with IMP studies. Based on our analysis, we identify four directions for future research, where confronting and bridging the key concepts has the potential to contribute to conceptualizing entrepreneurial phenomena and related theory development. The four areas are: variety in the context of new ventures; multiplicity of networks embedding new ventures; connecting the new venture to its context; and the new venture's learning and management.
... 56). From the studies on business incubators, and in particular on networked incubators, it emerges the role that the organizations managing incubators play as third actors (Aaboen et al., 2017), that is in putting start-ups in contact with subjects that help them to overcome their limits, when it is not these organizations themselves that carry out such a task (Apa et al., 2017;Cantù, 2015;Scillitoe and Chakrabarti, 2010). Studies on startups in the high-technology or medium-high technology sectors have highlighted the possibility for them to increase their technological or marketing knowledge and skills by interacting with external actors such as consultants and knowledge-intensive business services, universities, potential and actual customers, venture capitalists, or also players in the same sector as the new venture (Cantù et al., 2018;La Rocca and Snehota, 2014;Lechner and Dowling, 2003;Lee et al., 2001;McGrath et al., 2017;Terjesen et al., 2011). ...
In light of the resource-base view of the firm, liability of newness appears as a capability gap. Several studies claim that collaborating with others is an effective strategy for bridging this gap. However, none of them demonstrates that, against a capability gap declared by the new venture at its birth and filled at the end of the start-up phase, this result was achieved by resorting to relations with external actors. The paper aims at answering this research question analyzing both the case of a marketing and technological capability gaps. The empirical section presents the results based on an original dataset on about 400 Italian new ventures. Results show that collaboration with external partners is the only determinant in reducing both capability gaps, whereas the profile of the new venture as well as its size, its location and the founders' education are not relevant. New ventures use external relationships to develop both technological and marketing capabilities.
... Before the situation could be controlled, most of the deep anthracite mines were flooded. The result was the end of anthracite deep mining in the region [1]. In the 1980s, a decrease in the demand for steel caused the closing of the steel industry. ...
The innovativeness boosted by incubator centers has an important role in the sustainable development of the country and its regions. The paper describes a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the business incubator center on the economic growth of a region. The goal of the paper is a comparison between two business incubators, CAN-BE in Hazleton, PA USA and Technopark in Gliwice, Poland. A number of indicators were used to measure economic growth. These selected indicators reflected social, organizational, technical, and financial aspects of economic growth.
... • pre-incubation, • incubation, • post-incubation. According to European Commission definition an incubator is a place where the incubation activities are carried out, and where the would-be entrepreneurs can find suitable place, in terms of facilities and expertise, to address their needs and develop business ideas to transform them into sustainable realities (Chiara, 2014;Davies, 2009;Xavier et. al., 2008). ...
The paper concentrate on the problems of customers satisfaction from services in incubator centres in USA and Poland. The aim of the paper is to analyse the level of satisfaction of Business Incubation Centre on the example of two incubator centres one from USA (Hazelton CAN-Be in Pennsylvania and second in Gliwice Poland). The analysis was conducted in pre-incubation and incubation stage. The analysis was conducted on example of survey analysis in both incubator centres. On the base of achieved results we assessed the priority of customers in each incubator centre.
... This structure usually consists of an experienced incubator manager, a key board of directors, a noted advisory council, and concise program milestones with clear policies and procedures. This type of governance plays an important role in recommending, reviewing, evaluating, and selecting tenants [9], [11], [13], [15], [44], [57], [58], [65]- [67]. ...
Business incubators can help young firms to survive during their first years. They are considered to be an entrepreneurial and economic development instrument that can increase the creativity of new firms including small and mid-sized enterprises and that can support them in the early stage of development which is the most vulnerable stage of their existence. Small and mid-sized enterprises are crucial for enhancing innovation, productivity, competitiveness, social cohesion, and economic development in developed and developing countries. They are also crucial in minimizing unemployment; they create a lot of jobs and significant output in many countries. The economy in many developing countries, especially Arab countries, is in a critical state. The unemployment rate is very high and gross domestic product is very low compared to developed countries. Many types of success models have been proposed and used to measure the success and performance of business incubators in developed countries. However, a limited number of studies and success models have been published on this topic in the case of the developing world. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to propose a model using a combination of well-known and new success factors for business incubator success in developing countries.
Innovation in its best generation occurs through extensive interactions and exchange of knowledge and products among actors with life-like characteristics. These characteristics are better understood in the form of the ecosystem concept, and it becomes possible to make policies, especially when toddlers are concerned. The current research has studied the startup innovation ecosystem intending to identify the leading players and their key roles. This research has two qualitative and quantitative stages. The qualitative part is a systematic review of the literature of the last ten years through seven steps, including keywords determination, search, organization, evaluation, expansion, interpretation, and presentation. This section’s result identifies universities, growth centers, financial providers, companies, accelerators, and science and technology partners as the leading players and the foundation, creation, support, coaching, and organization as critical roles. Theoretically, this research has identified a framework with the minimum requirement to form a startup innovation ecosystem. In a practical sense, it indicates that the country of Northern Cyprus is mainly supportive and needs to pay attention to other roles for the development of the ecosystem.
Wireless network systems have multiplied, and mobile communication systems have grown. This article is aimed at developing a cloud-based service wireless network system to smartly market products online. It makes use of cloud services combined with various technologies of the wireless network system. An intelligent product is a device connected to the Internet via sharing information with its users. The usage of smart products has increased day by day, resulting in increased production numbers by various companies. Here, Arises a problem of marketing among huge competition all the manufactured products. So, a marketing strategy has to be designed to market the products. This marketing task can be done using cloud computing services. Cloud computing refers to accessing various computing applications online, such as storing and accessing data, servers, software, databases, and networking. Users can store and access data from a remote server, and there is no need to store it on one’s computer hard disc. Large clouds have data centers located at various locations. Data and computing services are available on-demand, whenever they are needed. With the help of a SWOT analysis, this article will investigate smart product marketing strategies in cloud service wireless network systems. The advantages and disadvantages of using the cloud service wireless network system are analyzed based on SWOT analysis. A technically detailed analysis is done by identifying its strengths (S), weaknesses (W), opportunities (O), and threats (T), considering various aspects. In this research, smart product marketing analysis with SWOT is performed to implement a novel hybrid algorithm with the Smart Product Marketing Crisis Prediction (SPMCP) method. For the Smart Product Marketing application, the proposed method is compared with the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) and has obtained a higher accuracy of 99.54%.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a bibliometric analysis of the evolution and structure of business model research in industrial marketing scholarship during the period between 2011 and 2020 and to discuss potential directions for future empirical research.
Design/methodology/approach
Bibliometric methodologies are deployed to objectively evaluate the business model research that has made the most impact within industrial marketing scholarship as well as the prominent scholars and key topics driving the discipline at points in time.
Findings
The findings demonstrate the formative but increasing engagement that industrial marketing scholarship has had with business model literature and the limited but increasing degree that business models have influenced industrial marketing literature. Potential directions for the empirical development of business model literature are argued to lie in the areas of collaboration and coopetition by examining the notion of value within the relationships, interactions and/or networks evidenced in European seaports business models.
Research limitations/implications
Bibliometric analysis is retrospective in nature so developments in the literature appear only after some time has elapsed. Different keyword selection when formulating search strings for sampling may have brought some deviations in the analysis.
Originality/value
Research that investigates the link between business models and industrial marketing is still scarce. This paper is among the few that analyze objectively the evolution and structure of business model literature in industrial marketing scholarship from a longitudinal perspective with a particular emphasis on the period between 2011 and 2020.
Purpose
Incubators, as providers of advice and resources, suggest fostering the development of early-idea firms. Literature and practice seem to suggest an ever-increasing amount of incubator support. The creation of business relationships is at the heart of any business development, and this paper addresses whether a laissez-faire incubator fosters the creation of business relationships. The purpose of this paper is to explore the creation of business relationships among incubated firms during and after their time in the incubator along with the roles that these relationships play for the incubated firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirically, the paper is based on retrospective interviews with representatives of all incubated firms in a university incubator. A total of fifteen interviews were conducted with representatives of the incubated firms, the incubator and its owners, complemented by secondary data sources.
Findings
The paper points out three antecedents for business relationship creation: the lack of experience and connections; convenience; and trust based on the interactions with others in the incubator. These antecedents are connected to the roles of transforming businesses and of adaptation in the dyadic relationships. The laissez-faire incubator helped through the learning-by-doing among the incubated firms, which made them focus on business relationship creation from early on.
Originality/value
Most incubator research portrays the unilateral transfer of knowledge from the incubator to the incubated firm, with the latter being a service taker rather than a co-producer. The paper adds knowledge about business relationships among firms in incubators and the roles that these business relationships could play for the firms. The focus on an incubator providing limited support is of high practical relevance, given the trend of incubators facilitating more and more services.
Business practitioners tend to show little interest in academic journals, raising concerns that research-based knowledge potentially relevant to their managerial practice might evade them. The literature suggests academic writing style as one of the major reasons for this lack of interest. Against this background, we quantitatively examine the readability of 150 business-to-business (B2B) marketing research articles published in five leading journals. Our analysis identifies certain variations across journals and categories of papers, implying that it is possible to improve readability. We discuss the possible role of improved readability in encouraging practitioners to read B2B marketing research, while potentially increasing its relevance.
Purpose
The purpose of this study set out to introduce an alternative framework for explaining the formation of the innovation ecosystem based on the systematic literature review (SLR) and ecosystemic approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an SLR of studies from the year 2008-2018 that investigating startups’ innovation. SLR approach being used exploration, interpretation and communication method, which composed of seven steps as follows exploring topics, searching, organizing, evaluating and expanding, integrating and communicating. The output of this process is 63 documents that applied to synthesize the formation framework.
Findings
The systematic review of literature has shown that researchers in recent years have considered some entities such as incubators, financials suppliers, accelerators, universities and companies in relation to the startup innovations, which are described in this paper as key actors. The study of the relationship between these actors in the documents led to the identification of interactional necessities, including structures, infrastructures and networks. Finally, the processes studied in the literature were classified into three types of mechanisms, namely, the genesis, growth and development of startups innovations.
Research limitations/implications
The SLR approach is subject to limitations because some poor explanations amongst previous researchers may be repeated and reinforced. Also, in the protocol adopted in this paper, documents are limited in English.
Practical implications
The introduced frammework can be useful in identifying and understanding the requirements of startups and creating effective policies for their innovation development.
Originality/value
This paper reviews, summarizes and integrates the growing and scattered literature of the innovation ecosystem of the startups and delivers new facts for the future development of this field.
Global statistics suggest the number of incubators being established continues to increase. Some researchers have classified incubators according to a business model type under headings such as university, regional, commercial, company internal or virtual. We have observed an increase in the number of commercial incubators established by entrepreneurs, and we explore one Australian and one Dutch example in some detail. We observed their operations include a separate business running in parallel with the incubator that is like an engine for the incubator. But the nature of that business also establishes a synergistic relationship with the incubator clients. The literature implies that a particular incubator may focus on one stage in the development of a startup client. In the cases we examined there was evidence of support over multiple development stages
Purpose
This paper aims to review and synthesise the recent advancements in the business model literature and explore how firms approach business model innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of business model innovation literature was carried out by analysing 219 papers published between 2010 and 2016.
Findings
Evidence reviewed suggests that rather than taking either an evolutionary process of continuous revision, adaptation and fine-tuning of the existing business model, or a revolutionary process of replacing the existing business model, firms can explore alternative business models through experimentation, open and disruptive innovations. It was also found that changing business models encompasses modifying a single element, altering multiple elements simultaneously, and/or changing the interactions between elements in four areas of innovation: value proposition, operational value, human capital and financial value.
Research limitations/implications
Although this review highlights the different avenues to business model innovation, the mechanisms by which firms can change their business models and the external factors associated with such change remain unexplored.
Practical implications
The business model innovation framework can be used by practitioners as a “navigation map” to determine where and how to change their business models.
Originality/value
Because conflicting approaches exist in the literature on how firms change their business models, this review synthesises these approaches and provide a clear guidance as to the ways through which business model innovation can be undertaken.
The aim of this article is to contribute to the literature on the management of SME support arrangements, such a new business incubation programs, by presenting two European case studies of such arrangements. In the case studies, we have tried to identify management practices that seem to work well in both cases. The literature abounds with "success stories" of, for example, individual science parks, but such stories tend to have two major shortcomings. First, what constitutes success is seldom defined. Second, it is difficult to determine to what degree this success defends on local factors and to what degree it can be attributed to the management practices to the support arrangement. This study discusses the management practices of these two arrangements against the background of their regional settings.
This article examines how IKEA handles a complex network of business relationships with its suppliers and partners. This industrial network is fundamental to IKEA's strategy in terms of efficiency and development goals. From the analysis of IKEA's experiences in dealing with its industrial network, the article discusses a set of struaural components and dynamic interactions of a network strategy. The three structural components are: defining the content of relationships; forming the network structure; and evaluating goal matching with the network. The two dynamic interactions are: interacting via inter-organizational routines for efficiency goals; and interacting via joint projects for development goals. Network strategies cannot be used as shortcuts to compensate for severe weaknesses, but instead can only be pursued by firms that possess adequate competences, external organizational interfaces, and network-oriented cultures.
This article sets out policy guidelines on business incubation. Stylised facts are presented on the development of incubation across the OECD. Particular attention is given to the economic rationale for public sponsorship of business incubation schemes, and to the link between incubation and local economic development.
Business-to-business marketing research has a long tradition of using qualitative case studies. Industrial Marketing Management (IMM) has actively encouraged the use of case methods, resulting in many important theoretical advances in the field. However, debate still rages over what constitutes “good case research”. This article addresses this issue from a positivist standpoint. We examine the how authors address issues of quality in the 105 qualitative case studies published in IMM between 1971 and 2006. Four periods were identified: 1971–1979, 1980–1989, 1990–1999, and 2000–2006. Findings demonstrate that, from a positivist viewpoint, there has been a steady improvement in how authors addressed issues of research quality in published qualitative case studies. Suggestions for changes in data presentation, reviewer expectations, the IMM reviewer feedback form, and the use of web-based appendices containing data pertinent to reader judgments of research quality are suggested.
In recent years, the complex, turbulent and changing environment in which firms operate has greatly intensified. A new era
of continuous innovation has emerged in which knowledge is the key asset, and whose exploitation determines success for many
firms. In this context, it is generally accepted that effective knowledge management depends heavily on a company’s ability
to collaborate, both inside (Collective Entrepreneurship) and outside (Collaborative Entrepreneurship) the organization. Collaboration
enables a firm to be entrepreneurial and continuously innovative by exploring new markets. Continuous innovation and market
exploration are the building blocks of collaboration. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to develop the concept of Collaborative
Entrepreneurship, linking the most relevant issues with the concept of Collective Entrepreneurship, from a preliminary integrative
approach. From this approach, three elementary dimensions are emphasized: strategy, structure and management philosophy. Strategy
refers to the shared common project among collaboration partners; Structure concerns the flexibility of structures and adaptation
to environmental changes; and Management Philosophy is about trust. Also, networks within the firm and among firms could form
the basis of Collaborative Entrepreneurship in the context of negotiation and decision processes. A brief overview of the
content of each of the articles included in this special issue on Collaborative entrepreneurship is presented following this
article.
We develop and test, using McFadden's discrete choice statistical modeling applied to network dynamics, four alternative logics of attachment - - accumulative advantage, homophily, follow-the-trend, and multiconnectivity - - to account for the development of interorganizational collaboration in the field of biotechnology. The commercial field of the life sciences is characterized by wide dispersion in the sources of basic knowledge and rapid development of the underlying science, fostering collaboration among a broad range of institutionally diverse actors. We map the network dynamics of the field over the period 1988-99. Using multiple novel methods, including analysis of network degree distributions, network visualizations, and multi-probability models to estimate dyadic attachments, we demonstrate how a preference for diversity shapes network evolution. Collaborative strategies pursued by early commercial entrants are supplanted by strategies influenced more by universities, research institutes, venture capital, and small firms. As organizations increase both the number of activities around which they collaborate and the diversity of organizations with which they are linked, cohesive subnetworks form that are characterized by multiple, independent pathways. These structural components, in turn, condition the choices and opportunities available to members of a field, thereby reinforcing an attachment logic based on connection to partners that are diversely and differently linked. The dual analysis of network and institutional evolution offers a compelling explanation for the decentralized structure of this science-based field.
Collaborative entrepreneurship research suggests that organizations will soon pursue more collaborative relationships throughout
a worldwide network of firms, driving a strategy of continuous innovation, specially small- and medium-size firms (SMEs).
Tapping into a body of literature that focuses on the importance of human capital in driving long-term success, we merge ideas
of collaborative research with a growing body of work on human capital or human resource management in SMEs. Our paper states
that it is not the human, per se, that is the real asset but the relationships those humans have that are the most inimitable
and important capital. We will discuss how companies use relational capital as the basis for collaborative entrepreneurship.
Consistent with our hypotheses, our exploratory study suggests that smaller firms place more value on relational capital than
do larger firms. We also have some indication that the key capital that differentiates low vs. high performance, regardless
of firm size, is the relational capital aspect. To sum up, relational capital is a fundamental asset for firms, but especially
for SMEs, and high performing companies are those that are able to negotiate with others and develop collaborative agreements,
thus placing a high value in relational capital.
This study examines the role of different networks, called the relational mix, on the development of the entrepreneurial firm. Our regression analysis of survey data from 60 venture capital-financed firms questions the importance of network size on firm development. Rather, our results suggest that different types of networks are more important for firm development. In particular, we found a significant positive relationship for reputational networks and a weak significant negative relationship for cooperative technology networks at founding with time-to-break-even. Social networks at founding have no direct effect on time-to-break-even and a significant negative relationship with sales in the years after foundation. Furthermore, our findings show the important role of marketing information and co-opetition networks (relationships with direct competitors) on firm development in the years after foundation. These results suggest that the relational mix is a more appropriate construct for explaining network development than network size alone.
Based on a field study at a technological incubator affiliated with a leading Israeli university, this paper focuses on the construction and maintenance of informal networks of innovation, composed of entrepreneurs within the incubator, Technion staff and industry. A linear model of the development of emergent technology is set aside, while a cyclical model based on social networks is suggested. A wide array of exchange relationships (formal and informal), ranging from the use of library and laboratory services to an extensive and ongoing barter exchange of knowledge, know-how, and even shared practice is presented and discussed.
The Triple Helix of university–industry–government relations is compared with alternative models for explaining the current research system in its social contexts. Communications and negotiations between institutional partners generate an overlay that increasingly reorganizes the underlying arrangements. The institutional layer can be considered as the retention mechanism of a developing system. For example, the national organization of the system of innovation has historically been important in determining competition. Reorganizations across industrial sectors and nation states, however, are induced by new technologies (biotechnology, ICT). The consequent transformations can be analyzed in terms of (neo-)evolutionary mechanisms. University research may function increasingly as a locus in the “laboratory” of such knowledge-intensive network transitions.
Performance-based contracting is reshaping service support supply chains in capital-intensive industries such as aerospace and defense. Known as “power by the hour” in the private sector and as “performance-based logistics” (PBL) in defense contracting, it aims to replace traditionally used fixed-price and cost-plus contracts to improve product availability and reduce the cost of ownership by tying a supplier's compensation to the output value of the product generated by the customer (buyer).
To analyze implications of performance-based relationships, we introduce a multitask principal-agent model to support resource allocation and use it to analyze commonly observed contracts. In our model the customer (principal) faces a product availability requirement for the “uptime” of the end product. The customer then offers contracts contingent on availability to n suppliers (agents) of the key subsystems used in the product, who in turn exert cost reduction efforts and set spare-parts inventory investment levels. We show that the first-best solution can be achieved if channel members are risk neutral. When channel members are risk averse, we find that the second-best contract combines a fixed payment, a cost-sharing incentive, and a performance incentive. Furthermore, we study how these contracts evolve over the product deployment life cycle as uncertainty in support cost changes. Finally, we illustrate the application of our model to a problem based on aircraft maintenance data and show how the allocation of performance requirements and contractual terms change under various environmental assumptions.
Regional innovative capability is a crucial factor in building regional competitive advantage under the present techno-economic paradigm. Defining and promoting the multi-actor innovation networks that form the regional innovation system is essential. In the present study, the Regional Development Platform Method and core process thinking are presented as innovative tools in developing regional innovation systems. The focus is on the definition of the age business innovation network as a core process of the Lahti (Finland) regional innovation system. The main conclusion is that the success of a core process is essentially based on collective learning and knowledge creation among the actors.
One of the biggest barriers for the development of incubators in Europe is the lack of entrepreneurship and the underdevelopment of seed financing and business angel networks. While incubation is increasingly being used as a tool for promoting entrepreneurship and start-ups, leading to new policy incentives, the content of the concept is becoming more and more polysemic. Completely different approaches tend to be associated with the incubator concept, which hence becomes more of an umbrella concept. This paper aims to combine a conceptual analysis with an analysis of economic reality, both in the U.S.A. and in Europe. It warns against non-accurate evaluations of the impact of incubators if one does not take into account the different types of incubators. The paper focuses on the dynamic process of incubatio and concludes by underlining the importance of close links between incubators and business angels networks.
This article employs real options-theoretic reasoning to develop a theory of business incubation. This theory seeks to predict and explain how business incubators and the process of business incubation increase the likelihood that new ventures will survive the early stages of development. It conceptualizes the incubator as an entrepreneurial firm that sources and macro-manages the innovation process within emerging organizations, infusing these organizations with resources at various developmental stage-gates while containing the cost of their potential failure. The incubator is the unit of analysis while incubation outcomes--measured in terms of incubatee growth and financial performance at the time of incubator exit--provide indicators of success. Our model of the incubation process and specification of the range of possible incubation outcomes offer implications for managerial practice and policy-making vis-ý-vis incubator management and good entrepreneurial failure.
This paper addresses how the Open Innovation concept, as recently coined by Henry Chesbrough, can be analyzed from an industrial dynamics perspective. The main proposition of the paper is that the specific modes in which different companies manage Open Innovation in regard to an emerging technology reflect their differential position within the innovation system in question, the nature and stage of maturity of the technological regime, and the particular value proposition pursued by companies. The proposition is analyzed through an in-depth study of the current transformation of sound amplification from linear solid state technology to switched or digital technology within the consumer electronics system of innovation. The analysis especially addresses the complex interplay between technology entrepreneurs and incumbents, and demonstrates that Open Innovation sometimes has to be conducted under conditions of high transaction costs.
In popular parlance, Necessity is the Mother of Invention. Entrepreneurs invent around resource constraints and, when they have to be, problems get solved. Yet in many walks of life, including management, such catalytic constraints are predominantly seen as negative – obstacles rather than opportunities for innovation. Inadequate resourcing is often cited as a reason for the lack of innovation in large companies, for example, when such fiscal conservatism could just as well form an opportunity for entrepreneurship. This introduction to the special issue attempts to reconcile the dual nature of boundaries. It develops five types of boundaries that can serve as an aid to innovation and discusses how we can be more intentional in the usage of these boundaries.
Several interpretations converge in defining innovation networks as formed by heterogeneous actors, mainly identified in universities, research centers, and business companies. While the issue of actors' heterogeneity has generated active debate in strategy and organization studies, there has been little discussion so far in exploring the role of this diversity in innovation networks.Drawn from previous literature, we identify six attributes of actors' heterogeneity which seem to matter for the development of collaborative innovation: goals, knowledge bases, capabilities and competences, perceptions, power and position, culture. This paper is aimed at pursuing issues in need of further investigation. In particular 1. how the interplay of diverse actors' attributes shapes the interaction process in the development of collaborative innovation; 2. if and how combinations of their attributes are more likely to generate certain consequences in interaction; and 3. the degree to which heterogeneity is preferable to homogeneity for the effectiveness of innovation networks. In a recursive relationship, we also call for more research on the mechanisms that lead actors' attributes to change as an effect of interaction as well as on the interaction capabilities actors apply to manage heterogeneity.
This paper explores the role of the business model in capturing value from early stage technology. A successful business model creates a heuristic logic that connects technical potential with the realization of economic value. The business model unlocks latent value from a technology, but its logic constrains the subsequent search for new, alternative models for other technologies later on-an implicit cognitive dimension overlooked in most discourse on the topic. We explore the intellectual roots of the concept, offer a working definition and show how the Xerox Corporation arose by employing an effective business model to commercialize a technology rejected by other leading companies of the day. We then show the long shadow that this model cast upon Xerox's later management of selected spin-off companies from Xerox PARC. Xerox evaluated the technical potential of these spin-offs through its own business model, while those spin-offs that became successful did so through evolving business models that came to differ substantially from that of Xerox. The search and learning for an effective business model in failed ventures, by contrast, were quite limited.
This paper develops a case study approach that builds on the foundations of moderate constructionism and abduction. We discuss the case study method and its role in industrial marketing, especially in business-to-business networks. Moderate constructionism is compared with realist, critical realist, and relativist approaches. We argue that moderate constructionism takes better into account the multiple constructed, community-bounded realities that all case studies inevitably deal with. The power of moderate constructionism to produce valid and generalizable new knowledge is critically assessed. We also address abduction in relation to induction and deduction and its role in the moderate constructionist research approach. Finally, we develop a process model, illustrated by a case study of a specific network in the pharmaceutical industry.
The purpose of this article is to contribute to the emerging debate about the use of the case methodology in industrial marketing. We conducted a content analysis of the 145 case studies published in three key journals (Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business-to-Business Marketing and Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing) over a 10-year period (1997–2006). The findings highlight the dominance of case research in qualitative industrial marketing research. They also lead us to distinguish between three different practices that influence perceptions of ‘good’ case research in this scholarly domain: ‘common’ practice, ‘best practice’ and ‘innovative’ practice. Our contribution lies in problematising what ‘good’ case research is, and showing how research practice – not just methodological literature – has a role in generating methodological conventions in a disciplinary field.
Within the current literature it is generally agreed that university incubator units offer considerable advantages to new, growth-orientated firms in the provision of shared facilities such as offices, administrative staff and access to university research and grant support. Moreover, in recent years the networked incubator has emerged as an effective mechanism that fosters partnerships between high-technology-based firms (spin-out HTBFs) and other external parties such as government support agencies and funders, thus facilitating technology transfer from universities to the economy. However, there is a lack of longitudinal studies exploring how entrepreneurial networking operates and develops and how the entrepreneur uses these networks to support growth ambitions, within USIs. To explore this issue further, this paper presents evidence from an in-depth longitudinal study of the operation of entrepreneurial networking within 12 entrepreneurial firms based in a USI, and with related stakeholders in the Republic of Ireland. The research methodology is based on longitudinal semi-structured interviews. The results show that the incubator environment enhances the development of social networks that act to support the new entrepreneur during the vital stages of firm foundation. Furthermore, the networks have a key role in facilitating the design and implementation of firm growth strategies within the USI.
A general consensus exists in the debate on innovation-oriented regional development, in which cooperation in innovation between manufacturing firms, service firms and research institutions continues to grow in importance with respect to business success and the economic performance of a region—at least for some region types. The academic discussion, thus far, has been shaped by a large number of outstanding theoretical studies focusing on this topic from the perspective of the innovative milieu concept, the network theory (spatial version), the regional innovation systems approach or the transaction cost theory. Up to now, comparative empirical studies have not been performed evaluating the significance of innovation networks over a sufficiently large and statistically representative data set for the various types of regions. This is the goal of this issue of European Planning Studies, which is introduced in this article. Briefly, the basic concepts for explaining network-oriented regional development are described and the essential features of the European Regional Innovation Survey (ERIS) are presented—developed by a research team of German economic geographers and regional economists. Between 1995 and 1999 ERIS carried out three extensive surveys in 11 European regions with a total return of 8635 questionnaires, in an effort to identify, systematize, and quantify linkages between innovative players. The question of the range of such innovative linkages plays a central role in this analysis.
Past literature on the development of new technology-based firms (NTBF) within business incubators suggests that the incubation process of these ventures includes both business and technical assistance. In addition, past literature suggests that this assistance is accessible through direct and networking interactions with the incubator management. However, research on the influence of each of these types of interactions on the types of beneficial assistance gained by ventures is unclear. Drawing predominately from social capital theory, this study examines the role of counseling and networking interactions with incubator management on both beneficial business and technical assistance for NTBFs. Results of this study suggest that business assistance, in the form of venture learning about buyer preferences, is best enabled through counseling interactions with incubator management. Learning buyer preferences was not enabled through networking interactions. Technical assistance, in the form of venture learning technological know-how skills, is best enabled through networking interactions with incubator management. Learning technological know-how skills was not enabled through counseling interactions. This study, therefore, highlights the importance and a clearer distinction of how both counseling and networking interactions with incubator management enable the incubation process of new ventures.
Besides applying technology in new products inside the organization, industrial firms may actively license technology to external partners. There is anecdotal evidence that firms have increasingly licensed technology in recent years in order to achieve monetary and non-monetary benefits. However, prior research into the evolution of licensing activities and into the management of these activities is relatively limited. Therefore, we rely on an exploratory research design and collect unique data by means of 57 interviews in 25 industrial firms over a 5-year period. On this basis, we identify five different strategic approaches to licensing management. In addition, we examine the relationship between the firms' licensing management and licensing activity. Finally, we analyze the development of the firms' licensing management over the 5-year period. The results considerably deepen our understanding of licensing management, and they provide new insights into interfirm differences in the success of active licensing programs. The findings have major implications for research into technology licensing, knowledge exploitation, open innovation, and markets for technology.
This paper investigates the contingent value of interorganizational relationships at the time of a young firm's initial public offering (IPO). We compare the signaling value to young firms of having ties with two types of interorganizational partnerships: endorsement relationships such as those with venture capital firms and investment banks, and strategic alliance partnerships. We propose that, under different equity market conditions, potential investors in an issuing firm attend to different types of uncertainty; attention to these different types of uncertainty affects investors' perceptions of the relative value of a young firm's different kinds of endorsements and partnerships and, hence, IPO success. Results from a sample of young biotechnology firms show that ties to prominent venture capital firms are particularly beneficial to IPO success during cold markets, while ties to prominent investment banks are particularly beneficial to IPO success during hot markets; a firm's strategic alliances with major pharmaceutical/health care firms did not have such contingent effects. Implications for understanding the contingent value of interorganizational ties are discussed. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
This paper analyzes how technological collaboration acts as an input to the innovation process and allows small and medium-sized enterprises to bridge the innovation gap with their bigger counterparts. Based on a large longitudinal sample of Spanish manufacturing firms, the results show that though technological collaboration is a useful mechanism for firms of all sizes to improve innovativeness, it is a critical factor for the smallest firms. The impact of this collaboration varies depending on innovation output and type of partner. Specifically, the impact of collaboration in small and medium-sized firms is more significant for product than process innovations. Regarding type of partner, vertical collaboration—with suppliers and clients—has the greatest impact on firm innovativeness, though this effect is clearer for medium-sized enterprises than for the smallest firms.
Much research suggests that social networks shape the emergence and development of nascent ventures. Scholars have argued that founders' and firms' networks influence innovation and the identification of entrepreneurial opportunities, as well as facilitate the mobilization of resources for growth and the harvesting of value from fledgling firms. It is not an exaggeration to claim that existing empirical findings point to the centrality of networks in every aspect of the entrepreneurial process. However, with exceptions so few they may be counted on one hand, this research untenably treats network structures as exogenous—in other words, as if entrepreneurs and enterprises do not pursue valuable connections. In this article, we review the literature on networks in entrepreneurial contexts, argue that it disproportionately focuses on the consequences of networks at the expense of research on their origins, and consider the implications for the literature of the fact that most entrepreneurs and young ventures are strategic in their formation of relations. We then articulate a research agenda composed of five areas of inquiry we consider critical to a better understanding of networks and entrepreneurship. Copyright © 2008 Strategic Management Society.
This paper focuses on identity and identification on a network level of analysis. Perceptions of competition and cooperation in relationships arising from such an approach are explored, and the concept of network identification is introduced, with an explicit focus on boundaries that are activated, questioned and moved. At a network level of analysis it is less obvious who are competitors and who are not. In general the approach encourages an enhanced awareness of interdependence and embeddedness, which in turn promotes a more comprehensive sense of belonging and a new perception of goal compatibility. It is suggested that the focus on competition in the terminology of the contemporary business discourse need to be paired with a perception of relations as involving a sense of shared destiny.
Our study examines the state of qualitative case studies in operations management. Five main operations management journals are included for their impact on the field. They are in alphabetical order: Decision Sciences, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, Journal of Operations Management, Management Science, and Production and Operations Management. The qualitative case studies chosen were published between 1992 and 2007. With an increasing trend toward using more qualitative case studies, there have been meaningful and significant contributions to the field of operations management, especially in the area of theory building. However, in many of the qualitative case studies we reviewed, sufficient details in research design, data collection, and data analysis were missing. For instance, there are studies that do not offer sampling logic or a description of the analysis through which research out-comes are drawn. Further, research protocols for doing inductive case studies are much better developed compared to the research protocols for doing deductive case studies. Consequently, there is a lack of consistency in the way the case method has been applied. As qualitative researchers, we offer suggestions on how we can improve on what we have done and elevate the level of rigor and consistency.
Network-based research in entrepreneurship is reviewed and critically examined in three areas: content of network relationships, governance, and structure. Research on the impact of network structure on venture performance has yielded a number of important findings. In contrast, fewer process-oriented studies have been conducted and only partial empirical confirmation exists for a theory of network development. In order to address unanswered questions on how network content, governance, and structure emerge over time, more longitudinal and qualitative work is needed. Theory building in this field would benefit also from a greater integration between process- and outcome-oriented research.
Incubators have become a ubiquitous phenomenon in many parts of the world and are viewed as a tool for promoting the development of technology-based growth firms. Considering the large faith and the considerable amounts of money invested in incubators, the identification of best practice incubator models is of importance. Previous incubator assessment literature has tended to emphasise the measurement of incubator outcomes. In this paper, we argue that best practice identification requires a holistic approach, where the goals of the incubators are taken into account and the performance of different incubators are put in relation to their incubator models. In this context, the aim of this paper is to develop a framework that can serve as a basis for identifying best practice incubator models and for more rigorous evaluations of incubator performance. The framework suggested includes three distinguishing model components: selection, business support and mediation. We distinguish between idea-focused selection and entrepreneur-focused selection as well as between “picking-the-winners” and “survival-of-the-fittest” selection. Business support is seen as a continuum from “laissez-faire” to “strong intervention”. Mediation strategies vary in terms of the type of innovation system in focus: technological, regional or cluster. The framework is applied to 16 Swedish incubators.
The literature on science parks evaluation mainly covers the developed countries of OECD. There is a lack of evidence about the role of science parks in the less developed countries. This paper aims to partially fill this gap in literature by examining the science parks in a peripheral European country, Greece. The findings indicate that the picture of the three science parks of Greece is not the same in terms of the links between university and industry. Informal links have been developed between the firms and the local university, however, only the firms located at one science park have developed formal links, while the formal links of the companies of the other two parks are at the infant level at this time. Synergies between the on-park companies are limited only in commercial transactions and social interactions. The research type synergies are completely absent in all three parks.
In spite of the diffusion of science parks in Europe, it is still unclear whether they have been successful in fostering the establishment and growth of new technology-based firms (NTBFs). This paper aims to contribute to answer such question. For this purpose, a sample composed of 45 Italian NTBFs which at the beginning of 2000 were located on technology incubator within a park is compared with a control sample of off-incubator firms. Aspects considered in the study include the personal characteristics of founders of NTBFs, the motivations of the self-employment choice, the growth and innovative performances of firms, propensity towards networking, and access to public subsidies. In the comparison, we use a larger set of indicators than in previous studies. The empirical results confirm the conventional wisdom that input and output measures of innovative activity are only marginally different between on- and off-incubator firms. Nonetheless, they also show that Italian parks managed to attract entrepreneurs with better human capital, as measured by educational attainments and prior working experience. In addition, on-incubator firms show higher growth rates than their off-incubator counterparts. They also perform better in terms of adoption of advanced technologies, aptitude to participating in international R&D programs, and establishment of collaborative arrangements, especially with universities. Lastly, they find it easier to get access to public subsidies. Altogether, such findings support the view that science parks are an important element of a technology policy in favor of NTBFs. This holds true especially in a country like Italy which is characterized by a rather weak national innovation system.
Whenever a business enterprise is established, it either explicitly or implicitly employs a particular business model that describes the design or architecture of the value creation, delivery, and capture mechanisms it employs. The essence of a business model is in defining the manner by which the enterprise delivers value to customers, entices customers to pay for value, and converts those payments to profit. It thus reflects management's hypothesis about what customers want, how they want it, and how the enterprise can organize to best meet those needs, get paid for doing so, and make a profit. The purpose of this article is to understand the significance of business models and explore their connections with business strategy, innovation management, and economic theory.
Case studies are frequently used in industrial network research. In this article, we discuss the difficulties and opportunities characterizing the case study approach. In particular, we deal with single case research aiming at theory development. For this purpose, we suggest an approach based on ‘systematic combining’ grounded in an ‘abductive’ logic.
Recent years have seen the emergence of a new incubator model, the “networked incubator”, which is a hybrid form of the archetypal business incubator (BI), based on territorial synergy, relational symbiosis, and economies of scope. This paper looks at why this new model has emerged and what distinguishes it from the more traditional incubator model. The theoretical basis of the research is social capital theory. Empirically, the paper is based on 6 months of ethnographic data collected in one of the first known and documented networked incubators. The closing section of the paper addresses the implications for research and practitioners.
University Science Park incubators (USIs) have emerged as a means by which Government, academia and business can develop high technology business firms (spin out HTBFs) from initial conception through to becoming established small firms, which are ready to move beyond the Science Park confines. Although there is considerable literature on how USIs can be improved and developed there is a paucity of studies, which explore how lifecycle development within HTBFs in USIs can affect how they use the unique resources and opportunities of the USI. Moreover, there is a focus on single point in time studies, which do not adequately investigate the longitudinal dynamics of HTBF lifecycle development within USIs. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the longitudinal use of the unique resources of the USI by HTBFs at different lifecycle stages.The research methodology involved 18 HTBFs within two separate USIs. A series of longitudinal interviews and focus groups were conducted with HTBFs and USI staff over a 36-month period. NUD*IST software was used in developing the coding and analysis of transcripts. The results show that a HTBF's propensity to make effective use of the USI's resources and support increases as the lifecycle stage of the company increases and the small-firm searches for independence and autonomy. Therefore, further research is required to investigate the following two outstanding questions; firstly, which usage pattern is associated with the HTBF's ultimate success or failure in the marketplace? And secondly, are there any services missing from the observed array that the USI could provide to enhance the HTBF's degree of ultimate success?
A business incubator — in collaboration with the community in which it operates — is a “producer” of business assistance programs. The entrepreneurial ventures located in an incubator, as “consumers” of those outputs, operate in an interdependent co-production relationship with the incubator. This study explores the types of business assistance provided through co-production, the modes of co-production, and factors that affect the variability of impact. The allocation of the time of the incubator manager, the intensity of intervention, the breadth of co-production modalities deployed, and the readiness of the entrepreneur to engage in co-production are revealed as factors affecting the output elasticities related to co-production inputs.
Concerns have been raised about lack of clarity in conceptual consideration and difficulty of applying the network concept as an analytical tool. These concerns can be associated with reliance on quantitative techniques, designed to look at structural characteristics, when qualitative approaches will reveal other aspects of networks. This paper builds on previous work and considers implications and outcomes of different methodological approaches for network research. Using a Ptolemaic/Copernican analogy it illustrates that both approaches are required to grasp and understand the complexity of networks and the associated activity of networking but that each deals with different aspects and features.
In this paper we explore a phenomenon that is currently a key component of the UK government's business support policies. Growing investment in incubation, and increased emphasis on it as a tool for regional development, require an understanding of its practice. We aim to provide insights for policymakers and practitioners to help them meet the needs and aspirations of users. Initially we present the key findings from a significant global review of studies of incubators, conducted on behalf of UK Business Incubation (UKBI), and the UK Department of Trade and Industry. The review identifies key factors in determining the potential added value of incubators. We then present the key findings from a subsequent in-depth study of seven incubators across England and Scotland, commissioned by UKBI. The conclusions of the study highlight the dichotomies relating to the potential polarisation of incubator objectives (from property development focus to business development focus) and how these influence the implementation of effective incubation processes from the perspective of tenant and graduate firms. The policies and practices of operators highlight a blurring of the distinction between incubator management and incubation development.
Business incubators such as Hotbank, CMGI, and Idealab! are a booming industry. Offering office space, funding, and basic services to start-ups, these organizations have become the hottest way to nurture and grow fledgling businesses. But are incubators a fleeting phenomenon born of an overheated stock market, or are they an important and lasting way of creating value and wealth in the new economy? The authors argue that one type of incubator, called a networked incubator, represents a fundamentally new and enduring organizational model uniquely suited to growing businesses in the Internet economy. It shares certain features with other incubators--mainly, it fosters a spirit of entrepreneurship and offers economies of scale. But its key distinguishing feature is its ability to give start-ups preferential access to a network of potential partners. Such incubators institutionalize their networking--they have systems in place to encourage networking, helping start-ups, for example, to meet with potential business allies. That doesn't mean incubatees get preferential treatment; it means only that they have built-in access to partnerships that might not have existed without the incubator. Even with this advantage, however, networked incubators can easily follow the road to ruin. To avoid failure, they must create a portfolio of companies and advisers that their incubatees can leverage. That can be done by strategically investing in portfolio firms and by enlisting a large set of business allies. It can also be done by establishing connections and relationships that are anchored more to the incubator than to particular individuals.
We outline a model that improves our understanding of the role of incubators in the entrepreneurial process. Specifically, we focus on the impact of the services offered, namely infrastructure, coaching and networks, on the graduation rates of the respective incubators' tenants. The model is tested among three different types of incubators, for-profit, non-profit, university-based incubators. Based on our qualitative findings, we conclude that our initial model is ineffective, in the sense that it cannot fully explain the role of the incubators in facilitating entrepreneurship. Interviews with directors of incubator centers were also carried out simultaneously. Further analysis of the results along with interview responses from incubator directors, led us to propose a more comprehensive model to explain how incubators affect the entrepreneurial process.
The effects of academic research groups’ organisational characteristics on the generation of successful business idea
- A Grimaldi
- R Grandi