Imitation and entrepreneurial learning: Insights from academic spin-offs

Abstract

<jats:p> The subject of this article is the inheritance of the parent university of academic spin-offs through imitation and entrepreneurial learning. Building on a capability perspective, the article adds to the literature on university spin-offs and presents insights into the academic spin-off phenomenon that may be useful in supporting academic entrepreneurship. The study is based on four universities, all located in the metropolitan area of Milan. The authors followed the start-up processes of 74 spin-off ventures over the period 2004–2013, obtaining economic data for 61 of the ventures. The analysis we carried out shows that parent universities influence the industry distribution of spin-offs, since most spin-offs showing a positive performance were concentrated in industries that (1) could benefit from the most advanced research of the parent university and (2) were those in which previous start-ups had also tended to concentrate. Thus, a focus on the parent (university)–progeny (spin-off) dyad as the unit of analysis reveals that the specific capabilities available and previous spin-off experience developed in the university play an important role in facilitating spin-off ventures and influencing new firms’ behaviour in their start-up and development phases. </jats:p>

Social support for academic entrepreneurship: definition and conceptual framework

“…Leaders or champions may have a role developing a supportive organisational culture (Good et al, 2019). Academic entrepreneurship is learned by example; accessible, experienced entrepreneurial role models play an important part in propagating further entrepreneurial activity (Baroncelli and Landoni, 2019;Zozimo et al, 2017). Moreover, first-time inventors in the university context tend to co-invent with experienced peers or principal investigators, and, local interaction with, and support from their academic peers and heads of department who have broad industry networks outside the organisational boundary and built up capabilities to recognise the most promising commercial paths for new technologies, may be more impactful than institutional level structural supports such as university management strategies and incentives (Rasmussen et al, 2014).…”

Personality traits and entrepreneurial intention: The mediating role of risk aversion

“…First, startup of a new business is a risky activity and has a great chance of failure (Goldenstein, Hunoldt, & Oertel, 2019;Hoogendoorn, van der Zwan, & Thurik, 2019). Second, probably many individuals are not willing to take risk of imitating (see Baroncelli & Landoni, 2019). Third, because of the lack of systemization and ordering (see, Linan & Fayol, 2014).…”

What can research organizations learn from their spin-off companies? Six case studies in the water sector

“…While most literature about the interactions between spin-offs and their parent organizations deals with economic and social benefits, this paper specifically explores the cognitive benefits that arise from those interactions. What is more, while most papers have focused on the benefits for spin-off firms (Baroncelli and Landoni, 2019; Treibich et al, 2013; van Stijn et al, 2018), the present study deals in particular with the benefits for the parent organizations. Building on different bodies of literature, we have constructed an analytical framework for understanding the cognitive feedback mechanisms from spin-off companies to parent research organizations.…”