The entrepreneurial university: an exploration of “value-creation” in a non-management department

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight the strategies undertaken by “entrepreneurial” universities to leverage their bottom-line especially in response to withdrawals of public funding. Internationalisation has been the most prominent from setting-up overseas branch campuses to aggressive recruitment drives for international students, and more recently, the launch of new programmes to attract a wider market. Design/methodology/approach Based on a documentary analysis, this study explores the future of curriculum development in entrepreneurial universities, using narratives around an “unconventional course” launch as a case illustration. Findings The findings reveal an interesting interaction of innovation, opportunity recognition, risk taking and pro-activeness at play within a university environment. The study also highlights how instructors have, in the past, based their syllabi on celebrities – from the Georgetown University to the University of South Carolina, University of Missouri and Rutgers University cutting across departments from English through sociology to Women’s and Gender Studies. Practical implications Overall this study captures the relationship between hip-hop artistry and poetry, as well as meeting the demands of society – societal impacts – not the least, bringing “street cred” into the classroom. Social implications The case illustration of a course launch at the University of Missouri linking hip-hop artists to curriculum development and pedagogy, opens up the discourse on the future trajectory of teaching and learning in higher education, with its attendant social implications – not the least for life after graduation. Originality/value This study provides fresh insights into the entrepreneurial potential of universities in co-branded/marketing activities with the hip-hop industry.

The entrepreneurial university as driver for economic growth and social change - Key strategic challenges

“…Adopting an internationalization orientation, entrepreneurial universities are more proactive in terms of attracting and retaining talent with entrepreneurial mindsets and behaviours; capturing balanced and diversified funds for ensuring long-term investment in entrepreneurial and innovative activities; and building strategic partnerships with key agents with a strong entrepreneurial innovation presence and recognition across the globe. Third, are internal factors relating to a diversified strategic orientation (McAdam et al 2017;Abdelkafi et al 2018;Madichie and Gbadamosi, 2017). By adopting a diversified strategic orientation, entrepreneurial universities looking for the achievement of multiple stakeholders' goals and long-term survival by focusing on value creation and hybrid business models in the delivery and support of entrepreneurial and innovative initiatives.…”

Oppan Gangnam style! A series of accidents – place branding, entrepreneurship and pop culture

“…Figure 1 also highlights the series of accidents, from popular culture, through entrepreneurship and leading up to the unintentional place brandingwhich could have been leveraged by the district of Gangnam. The key elements include opportunity recognition, risk, arbitrariness, dumb luck and the optimization of these drawing upon stories and/or narratives from a range of sources to illustrate the intersections of this interdisciplinary proposition (Madichie and Gbadamosi, 2017). As would, and possibly should be expected, the findings of this study are teased out of and treated alongside the story-telling and narrative analysis adopted for the purposes of this conceptual study.…”

The impact of Risk Willingness and Opportunity Recognition on Business Owners’ Performance in Sabah, Malaysia

“…The findings by McCline et al (2000) and Nybakk and Hansen (2008) revealed that variables, such as risk willingness and recognition of opportunities, also influenced business performance and were able to differentiate entrepreneurs from nonentrepreneurs. Likewise, other researchers revealed that willingness to take risks (Madichie & Gbadamosi, 2017) and the ability to recognise business opportunities (Chang & Chen, 2020) are critical requirements of a successful entrepreneur, which also influence business performance (Kosenius et al, 2020). Therefore, these discussions lead to the establishment of the following hypotheses: H1: 'Risk Willingness' of EAO has a positive effect on business owner's performance.…”