Open Access Journal Article

Entrepreneurial universities: Modelling the link between innovation producers and innovation users shows that team structures in the tech transfer function improves performance

by Charles Mondal a ,  Mousa Al-Kfairy b  and  Robert B. Mellor a,* orcid
a
Computing & Maths, Kingston University, KT1 2EE, London, UK
b
College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
EAL  2024 3(2):54; https://doi.org/10.58567/eal03020003
Received: 26 October 2023 / Accepted: 24 January 2024 / Published Online: 15 June 2024
View Full-Text
Download PDF

Abstract

To investigate successful technology transfer, the potential path of innovations from the university research bench to the knowledge recipient is modelled. Universities exist in highly regulated environments and the initial path of decision-making is a hierarchical model and where decisions flow upward from manager to manager until a small number of candidate innovations for commercialization remain. These are then routed for further processing to the link connecting to the knowledge recipient, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO). In the TTO, a hierarchical decision-making model can be acceptable in terms of outcomes, but ambidextrous co-operative team structures are much superior in cases where staff have good insight and decision-making abilities. This report represents the first Structured Equation Model investigation of the management architecture of a TTO.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship; decision making; technology transfer; university innovations;
Copyright: © 2024 by Mondal, Al-Kfairy and Mellor. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) (Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Share and Cite

ACS Style
Mondal, C.; Al-Kfairy, M.; Mellor, R. B. Entrepreneurial universities: Modelling the link between innovation producers and innovation users shows that team structures in the tech transfer function improves performance. Economic Analysis Letters, 2024, 3, 54. https://doi.org/10.58567/eal03020003
AMA Style
Mondal C, Al-Kfairy M, Mellor R B. Entrepreneurial universities: Modelling the link between innovation producers and innovation users shows that team structures in the tech transfer function improves performance. Economic Analysis Letters; 2024, 3(2):54. https://doi.org/10.58567/eal03020003
Chicago/Turabian Style
Mondal, Charles; Al-Kfairy, Mousa; Mellor, Robert B. 2024. "Entrepreneurial universities: Modelling the link between innovation producers and innovation users shows that team structures in the tech transfer function improves performance" Economic Analysis Letters 3, no.2:54. https://doi.org/10.58567/eal03020003
APA style
Mondal, C., Al-Kfairy, M., & Mellor, R. B. (2024). Entrepreneurial universities: Modelling the link between innovation producers and innovation users shows that team structures in the tech transfer function improves performance. Economic Analysis Letters, 3(2), 54. https://doi.org/10.58567/eal03020003

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

References

  1. Adams, S. B. (2003) Regionalism in Stanford's contribution to the rise of Silicon Valley. Enterprise and Society, 4(3) 521-543. https://doi.org/10.1093/es/khg025
  2. Albats, E., Allen T., Alexander, A.T. and Cunningham, J. A. (2022): Traditional, virtual, and digital intermediaries in university-industry collaboration: exploring institutional logics and bounded rationality. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 177, 121470, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121470.
  3. Al-Kfairy, M. and Mellor, R. B. (2020): The role of organisation structure in the success of start-up science and technology parks (STPs). Knowledge Management Research and Practice, 21, 462-470. https://doi.org/10.1080/14778238.2020.1838962
  4. Al-Kfairy, M., Khaddaj, S. and Mellor, R. B. (2020): Evaluating the effect of organizational architecture in developing science and technology parks under differing innovation environments. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, 100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2019.102036
  5. Al-Kfairy, M., Khaddaj, S. and Mellor, R. B. (2019a): Computer modelling reveals the optimal development for the organisational structure of business clusters. International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 10, 249-275. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKBD.2019.103215
  6. Al-Kfairy, M., Khaddaj, S. and Mellor, R. B. (2019b): Computer modelling and identification of factors important for the success of business clusters. International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development, 10, 384 – 405. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJKBD.2019.105114
  7. Audretsch, D.B. and Belitski, M. (2022): A strategic alignment framework for the Entrepreneurial University. Industrial and Corporate Change, 29, 285–309. https://doi.org/10.1093/icc/dtac035
  8. Audretsch, D.B. and Guerrero, M. (2023): Is ambidexterity the missing link between entrepreneurship, management, and innovation? Journal of Technology Transfer 48, 1891–1918. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-023-10037-7
  9. Carayannis, E.G. and Campbell, D.F.J. (2010): Triple Helix, Quadruple Helix and Quintuple Helix, how do knowledge, innovation and the environment relate to each other? A proposed framework for a trans-disciplinary analysis of sustainable development and social ecology. International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development, 1 41–69, https://doi.org/10.4018/jsesd.2010010105
  10. Etzkowitz, H. (1983): Entrepreneurial scientists and entrepreneurial universities in American academic science. Minerva, 21, 198–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01097964
  11. Etzkowitz, H. and Ranga, M. (2010): A Triple Helix System for Knowledge-Based Regional Development: From "Spheres" to "Spaces". In Proceedings of the VIII Triple Helix Conference; 1–29. https://www.academia.edu/14987359/VIII_Triple_Helix_International_Conference_on_University_Industry_and_Government_Linkages_BOOK_OF_ABSTRACTS (Accessed 15 Dec 2023)
  12. Germain, E., Klofsten, M., Löfsten, H. and Mian, S. (2023). Science parks as key players in entrepreneurial ecosystems. R&D Management, 53(4) 603-619. https://doi.org/10.1111/radm.12536
  13. Gunsel, A. (2015): Research on effectiveness of technology transfer from a knowledge based perspective. Procedia - Social and Behavioural Sciences, 207, 777–785. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.10.165
  14. Harmon, B., Alexander, A., Cardozo, R., Elder, T., Leuthold, J., Parshall, J., Raghian, M. and Smith, D. (1997): Mapping the university technology transfer process. Journal of Business Venturing, 12(6) 423-434. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(96)00064-X
  15. Hegde, D. and Tumlinson, J. (2020): Information frictions and entrepreneurship. Strategic Management Journal, 42, 491–528. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3242
  16. Johnston, A. (2020): Open innovation and the formation of University–Industry links in the food manufacturing and technology sector. European Journal of Innovation Management. 24, 89–107. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-06-2019-0163
  17. Leydesdorff, L. and Etzkowitz, H. (2002): Can ‘the public’ be considered as a fourth helix in university-industry-government relations? report on the fourth triple helix conference. Science and Public. Policy, 30, 55–61. https://doi.org/10.3152/147154303781780678
  18. Mondal, C., Al-Kfairy, M and Mellor, R.B. (2023): Developing young science and technology parks: recent findings from industrial nations using the data-driven approach. Sustainability, 15(7) 6226. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15076226
  19. Nobelprize.org (2018). https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/2018/popular-information/ (accessed 10 Aug 2023).
  20. Ostrowski, E.D., Mellor, R.B., and Werner, D. (1986). The use of colloid gold labelling in the detection of plasma membrane from symbiotic and non‐symbiotic Glycine max root cells. Physiologia plantarum, 66(2), 270-276. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1986.tb02419.x
  21. Parmentola, A. and Panetti, E. (2020): Academic entrepreneurship and public research organisations: A conceptual study of the drivers and obstacles of research spin-off creation. International Journal of Technoentrepreneurship, 4(2), 134 - 150. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJTE.2020.113928
  22. Radko, N., Belitski, M. and Kalyuzhnova, Y. (2022): Conceptualising the entrepreneurial university, the stakeholder approach. Journal of Technology Transfer, 48, 955–1044. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-022-09926-0
  23. Sah, R. and Stiglitz, J. (1986): The architecture of economic systems: hierarchies and polyarchies. American Economic Review, 76, 716–27. www.jstor.org/stable/1806069
  24. Tracey, I. and Williamson, A. (2023): Independent Review of University Spin-outs Annex D: Insights from a survey of spin-out founders,https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6549fdbf2f045e001214dcb2/independent_review_of_university_spin-out_companies_annex_d.pdf (Accessed 15 Dec 2023)
  25. Vaninoa, E., Roper, S. and Becker, B. (2019): Knowledge to money: Assessing the business performance effects of publicly funded R&D grants. Research Policy 48, 1714-1737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.04.001
  26. Will, M.G., Al-Kfairy, M. and Mellor, R.B. (2017): Innovative behaviour, organizational structures and corporate performance. Academy of Management Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2017.11303abstract
  27. Will, M.G., Al-Kfairy, M. and Mellor, R.B. (2019): How organizational structure transforms risky innovations into performance – a computer simulation. Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, 94, 264-285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.simpat.2019.03.007