On entrepreneurial and ambidextrous universities. Comparative study in Ibero-American Higher Education Institutions

Abstract

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) currently face new challenges that break traditional schemes which focus solely on teaching. HEIs have become organizations that explore and exploit existing knowledge through technology transfer and commercialization. This study analyzes the effect of Performance Measurement Systems (PMSs) on the outcome of knowledge ambidexterity (i.e., the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation). A Qualitative Comparative Fuzzy Set Analysis was performed, which identified the combination of the antecedent conditions that generate exploration and exploitation outcomes in Ibero-American HEIs. These results show that knowledge ambidexterity performance in Ibero-American universities is conditioned by the design of the PMSs in every particular university context that considers the combination of these factors: Absorptive Capacity, Indicator System, Reward System and Organizational Structures. Overall, this study demonstrates that PMSs have a positive effect on achieving success in the exploration (research performance and academic reputation) and exploitation (technology transfer and employability) of knowledge in Ibero-American HEIs.