Knowledge-intensive Entrepreneurship Research Articles

Entrepreneurial Absorptive Capacity As Enabler of Knowledge Intensive Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Investigation

This paper builds on Qian and Acs (Small Business Economics, 40, 185–197, 2013) concept of entrepreneurial absorptive capacity and empirically investigates its role in the context of new knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. When it comes to the business formation phase and especially to the creation of knowledge intensive entrepreneurial ventures, knowledge inheritance of new firms seems to be more related to individual attributes. The knowledge intensity of these ventures is very much dependent on the founders’ capability to understand new knowledge, combine their knowledge with external knowledge sources, and exploit it in the context of opportunities they can recognise; that is, their absorptive capacity. This study provides new insights into the concept of absorptive capacity by studying it at the individual level enhancing the way of measuring it. Based on quantitative data from a large-scale survey, we conducted a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) application, which verified the role of entrepreneurial absorptive capacity in triggering knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the results imply a weaker but positive indirect effect of absorptive capacity to new venture performance. There is also a statistically significant negative influence of competition intensity and a positive influence of equity funding on the formation of knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. At the policy level this analysis reveals the importance of micro-determinants in fostering knowledge intensive entrepreneurial activities.

More than one way to get there: a configurational view on performance drivers in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship

PurposeKnowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms (KIE) strongly rely on scientific and strategic research and development (R&D) capabilities to achieve higher performance levels. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to disentangle the effects of scientific capabilities and strategic R&D on KIE performance; and how the constituent elements of these dimensions can be configured to generate conditions for high performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ empirical setting involves companies that submitted projects to the Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program in Brazil. The authors then run partial least square structural equation modeling to verify how scientific and strategic R&D capabilities influence the performance construct. Second, the authors apply fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify configurations that are equifinal in terms of generating superior performance.FindingsFindings indicate a strong association between scientific capabilities and KIE performance. The configurational approach outlines the existence of multiple paths to success, but human capital stands as a core condition throughout estimations.Practical implicationsThe authors’ assessment has implications for how KIE firms are managed according to their organizational profiles and trajectories. Also, it advances the authors’ comprehension on how entrepreneurship policies can better target these distinct profiles.Originality/valueThe authors’ analysis provides new evidence on the inherent complexity behind the generation of high performance in KIE when addressing their portfolios of knowledge-related capabilities. More than that, the authors were able to identify the existence of heterogeneous profiles that can equally lead to higher levels of performance.

Entrepreneurial ecosystems’ readiness towards knowledge-intensive sustainable entrepreneurship: Evidence from Brazil

Pathways to sustainable development are a key to providing innovation transitions and well-being. In this context, knowledge-intensive entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in shaping the markets for new products, services and business models. Prior literature has put emphasis on the contextual elements that shape entrepreneurial opportunities and business endeavors, i.e., entrepreneurial ecosystems. However, little is known about the extent to which these ecosystems are capable of nurturing the emergence of knowledge-intensive ventures with a sustainable orientation. Our goal in this article is to identify the ‘readiness’ of entrepreneurial ecosystems in terms of enablers of Knowledge-Intensive Sustainable Entrepreneurship (KISE) events in a developing country context – and how they differ from ‘traditional’ Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship (KIE). Our empirical data comes from firms participating in the PIPE Program (Innovative Research in Small Business) funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation in Brazil. The methodological approach relies on the estimation of entrepreneurial propensity functions that assess the statistical associations between city-level features and the generation of KISE for a panel of 629 municipalities. Findings indicate strong similarities on the underlying ecosystem drivers of KIE and KISE. However, when we disaggregate KISE into four domains (Cities, Health, Education and Green Technologies), the ‘ecosystem readiness’ towards sustainable transitions varies from more mature (as in the case of HealthTechs with an inclusive orientation) to very incipient configurations (Cities and EdTechs).

Desempenho de spin-offs e startups brasileiras: Um estudo sobre a evolução tecnológica a partir do empreendedorismo e das redes

Objective: to understand the relationships in advance of technological maturity and organizational performance in academic spin-offs and Brazilian startups. Method: quantitative research, with the application of 62 questionnaires, 17 of which were used as a pre-test. Originality/Relevance: this paper develops an approach oriented towards knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship in the context of a developing country, using data obtained from academic spin-offs and startups, based on an original model that relates the studied constructs. Results: empirical results made it possible to highlight the importance of Entrepreneurial Orientation as an antecedent of both Knowledge Conversion Capacity and Network Capacity. Theoretical/methodological contributions: aspects related to Entrepreneurial Orientation, Knowledge Conversion Capacity, Network Capacity and Technological Maturity were articulated in a conceptual model with a view to ultimately identifying the determinant mechanisms of Organizational Performance. Social/Management Contributions: the findings underscore the role of the ecosystem as a critical meta-structure for entrepreneurial development. This is because the components of the Entrepreneurial Orientation at the firm level are intrinsically connected with the diffusion of a culture of entrepreneurship in the agents. Additionally, both the Knowledge Conversion Capacity and the Network Capacity encompass the dynamics of interactions and knowledge flows between the firm and agents with complementary capacities. Thus, the results of this research underscore the need to develop a systemic orientation for understanding new knowledge-intensive enterprises.

Acknowledging diversity in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship: assessing the Brazilian small business innovation research

Acknowledging diversity in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship: assessing the Brazilian small business innovation research

Unpacking the early alumni engagement of entrepreneurship graduates

ABSTRACT Alumni engagement plays a crucial role in driving innovation in university-based entrepreneurship ecosystems. We employ an inductive, informant-centric research design to explore the processual dynamics surrounding the early alumni engagement of entrepreneurship graduates and how these translate into enterprising behaviors that foster technology transfer and knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship. Our inductive analysis advances the theoretical understanding of the beginning phases of the alumni engagement process among entrepreneurship graduates, the key drivers that make them gravitate toward different forms of alumni engagement, and the role and impact of their engagement in the surrounding ecosystem.

Local Knowledge Base and Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Regions: A Configurational Perspective

According to the central hypothesis of the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship – the more knowledge is produced in a region, the more entrepreneurial opportunities are available in it. Recent research extended the theory further, showing that the level of entrepreneurial activities, depends on the configuration of the local knowledge base not only on its size. This paper is aimed at discovering which knowledge profiles are more (and which less) supportive of creating entrepreneurial opportunities. It is motivated by disagreements and conflicting evidence on fundamental matters across all three frequently used dimensions - the type of knowledge source that contributes to new knowledge within a region (i.e., universities or private incumbent firms); the presence/absence of a dominant source of new knowledge within a region (i.e., an anchor tenant); and the specialization/diversity of technological knowledge that is created within a region. We analyze data from 33 regions using statistics on patent filings between 2011 and 2015 and a number of created startups in these regions. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) we confirm that a region’s potential for knowledge spillovers, and, thus, entrepreneurial activities, depends on the configuration of the local knowledge base, specifying what configurations are antecedent to creating more entrepreneurial opportunities. Our analysis also shows low synergy from the simultaneous presence of knowledge created by universities and industry in a given area, as these two are, under some conditions, substituting each other in stimulating knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship at the local level. Third, we show that the specialization/diversity of technological knowledge that is created within a region does not play an important role in creating a high number of entrepreneurial opportunities. These findings bring a new perspective and contribute to settling down some of the lasting debates, opening opportunities for further research and rethinking policy measures.

The relationship between public support and the degree of novelty of innovation

ABSTRACT The literature regarding innovation policy in developing countries indicates that public support can play an important role in fostering the accumulation of technological capabilities for both exploration and exploitation, thus facilitating knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship and innovation. This paper addresses this debate, analysing the role of public support in the degree of novelty of innovation. We add to the literature new empirical evidence concerning the relation between the degree of novelty innovation novelty and either research and development (R&D)-specific or general innovation-oriented public support in developing countries, such as Brazil. Our results show that both R&D-specific and general innovation-oriented public support are positively associated with innovation and shape the degree of innovation novelty. However, R&D-specific support is related to higher degrees of innovation than more general innovation-oriented public support.

Innovating in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms: exploring the effects of a variety of internal and external knowledge sources on goods and service innovations

AbstractAlthough knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms experiencing high growth and generating innovations are widely acknowledged as important for economic growth, surprisingly little is known about how such firms achieve and maintain a high level of knowledge intensity through which to innovate. Our article further develops the concept of knowledge intensity by proposing that it is augmented by external and internal search activities carried out by the entrepreneurial firm and analyzes how these activities affect innovation performance. We use principal component analysis to derive formal and informal search channels from summated rating scales—measuring reliance on internal and external sources of knowledge—and then use fractional logit regression to explore how these channels relate to a firm’s innovative performance, i.e., the share of innovative goods and services sold. We find that searching via informal channels, and formal channels toward scientific and technological knowledge, improves innovation performance of both goods and services, while searching via formal channels toward market knowledge positively affects only innovative goods. Overall, informal channels matter more than formal channels. Lastly, we find substitution rather than complementarity effects between external and internal search channels in their effect on innovation performance in both goods and services. Thus, we interpret that building up knowledge intensity per se through search matters more for innovation performance than whether search is internally or externally focused. Our work contributes to the growing literature on knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, to the related literature on new technology-based firms and young innovative firms, and to the general understanding of knowledge intensity at the firm level.

An integrative framework of knowledge-intensive and sustainable entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial ecosystems

This study integrates research on knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship and sustainable entrepreneurship in the light of new ventures’ increasing need to consider the social and environmental impact of their knowledge-intensive activities. We reviewed 49 articles with the twofold aim of exploring how knowledge-intensive and sustainable new ventures interact with the actors embedded in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to (1) pursue elements of survival and growth, and to (2) contribute to economic growth and sustainable development. In the conclusion of our article, we introduce a research agenda to identify relevant avenues for future studies.

Corporate venture capitalists as entrepreneurial knowledge accelerators in global innovation ecosystems

Corporate venture capitalists (CVCs) support innovation with capital and expertise, fueling global ecosystems that are based on knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE). This research, focusing on the most active CVCs from August 2019 to January 2020, analyzes their contribution to innovation ecoflows regionally and internationally and examines their impact on KIE contexts through an ordinary least squares (OLS) investigation of their entrepreneurial effort, in potential connection with operational intensity and leadership intensity, per round and overall. These investments have increased in the last ten years with a moderate positive correlation between leadership intensity and entrepreneurial effort and a strong positive correlation between operational intensity and entrepreneurial effort (particularly in early stages). Although through different behaviors, CVCs operate for the growth of innovative firms, and their contribution in supporting innovation regionally (above all in California) and internationally is considerable.

On the Dynamics of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: A Comparative Assessment of Green and ‘Traditional’ Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship

This study aims to analyze the impact of knowledge and socioeconomic dimensions on entrepreneurial ecosystem dynamics when addressing the emergence of green and ‘traditional’ knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE). The methodological approach used in the study was quantitative, using structural equation modeling. Our empirical analysis comprises data from 645 municipalities in the state of São Paulo and 1,372 companies participating in the Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program administered by the São Paulo Research Foundation (Fapesp). Of these projects, 343 represent green KIE (25% of the total), and 1,029 are traditional KIE, thus allowing a sound comparative analysis. Results confirmed the positive impact of knowledge and socioeconomic dimensions on entrepreneurial ecosystem dynamics. Moreover, findings show a homogeneous pattern in this relationship for cities that do contain green KIE and cities that do not. Hence, it does not seem necessary to promote different ecosystems configurations in order to foster sustainable transitions in entrepreneurial ecosystems. Rather, policies and initiatives targeting technological generation and diffusion in green technologies can likely represent an effective transformational strategy to achieve environment-friendly productive systems.

Exploring multilevel innovative ecosystems and the strategies of EMNEs through disruptive global expansions – The case of a Chinese MNE

While researchers have analysed how multinational enterprises (MNEs) cope with the challenges and risks related to undertaking foreign direct investment (FDI), their findings have only led to a partial understanding of the optimal risk involved in the knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship strategies chosen by MNEs at the time of entry, and of the innovative ecosystems in which they operate. Moreover, particularly at the post-entry stage, we still have a limited understanding of how MNEs identify, pre-empt, manage, and mitigate the various knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship risks found in foreign markets over the various stages of their subsidiaries’ life cycles within their innovative ecosystems. We argued that, in host countries characterised by substantial dynamic risks, MNEs are likely to adjust their risk management and mitigation strategies based on the experiences they gain in four distinct phases: pre-entry (when decisions on mode of entry are made), immediate post-entry, current status, and future strategies and plans. Within innovative ecosystems, these dynamics are compounded in emerging market contexts; in particular, those relating to FDI destined to other emerging markets. We contribute to the literature through a unique case study narrative obtained by drawing on multiple triangulated sources of data, including in-depth interviews and archival data, which led to nine key future research directions. We portray how a young Chinese telecommunication MNE had managed and mitigated various risks by understanding and navigating a complex landscape, by developing and exploiting an innovative ecosystem, and by adopting unique and disruptive internationalisation strategies in India.

Performance drivers in knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms: a multidimensional perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a comprehensive perspective on different facets of knowledge management and their effects on the performance of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial ventures.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical setting involves small and medium-sized enterprises located in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Primary data for 223 knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE) firms was obtained through questionnaires applied to ventures which applied to the innovative research in small business program, a small business innovation research-like initiative run by the São Paulo Research Foundation. Econometric results assessed the drivers of competitiveness in terms of firm growth, research and development intensification and technology transfer.FindingsResults highlight the complexity involved in establishing effective knowledge management processes in terms of driving KIE performance. Notwithstanding, some interesting insights on the moderation effects of strategic knowledge management (SKM) systems over technical skills could be identified with particular emphasis for the case of academic spin-offs. Ecosystem drivers present a good explanation power for technology transfer practices but fall short in providing answers for firm-level growth dynamics. It is also noteworthy that public and private investments in KIE firms are similarly associated with positive impacts – contrary to the view that private investors perform better than governmental sources in picking promising small ventures.Originality/valueThe assessment has provided novel evidence for a sample of KIE ventures concerning the appraisal of performance drivers associated with three dimensions of knowledge management, namely, technical knowledge, SKM and ecosystem features. Firms’ outcomes were addressed from a multidimensional perspective, thus providing a comprehensive perspective of the events under scrutiny.

Historical roots of entrepreneurship in different regional contexts—the case of Poland

Entrepreneurship is often found to be highly persistent over time. Although the historical roots of persisting effects of entrepreneurship are partially uncovered, their mechanisms remained largely unclear. To understand the historical roots of contemporaneous regional entrepreneurship, we exploit different types of historical self-employment in regions of Poland, a country that experienced different types of disruptive developments. In contrast to previous studies on other countries, we do not find a persistent effect of the general level of historical private sector self-employment. There is, however, a pronounced positive relationship between high regional levels of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship in the 1920s and current start-up activity in general, even in areas where large parts of the local population were displaced after World War II. We find that the magnitude of this effect is independent of the mobility and an exchange of the local population. Our main conclusion is that the historical regional knowledge stock, as reflected by knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, can be an important and stable historical root of modern entrepreneurship despite disruptive historical shocks and population discontinuities.

Dynamic exchange capabilities for value co-creation in ecosystems

Open sources and digital platforms offer significant opportunities for knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE) firms to participate on the platforms of existing firms while enabling the existing firms to develop dynamic capabilities (DC). However, the processes through which KIE and existing firms co-create and co-capture value from each other in ecosystems remain less understood. Synthesizing the diverse streams of literature on DC development in ecosystems, entrepreneurial ecosystems development by KIE firms, and service-centred views of value co-creation, we develop what we refer to as a ‘dynamic exchange capabilities (DEC) framework’ to delineate the processes through which firms co-create and co-capture value in ecosystems. Emphasizing the transience and potential trajectory of exchanges in ecosystems, we highlight how potential benefits of exchanges in ecosystems may affect the relationships and resource integration of both existing and KIE firms. The implications for the theory and practice of dynamic exchange capabilities for value co-creation are outlined.

Building regional innovation capacity: linking knowledge-intensive innovative entrepreneurship and innovation governance

Building regional innovation capacity: linking knowledge-intensive innovative entrepreneurship and innovation governance

The evolution of knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystems: co-evolving entrepreneurial activity and innovation policy in the West Swedish maritime system

ABSTRACT This paper contributes insights into the debate concerning the emergence of innovation ecosystems. More specifically, we propose a knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystem. Building on prior research on collective action, innovation governance, and knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship, we elaborate on existing theory by presenting a conceptual framework to articulate why ecosystems require the combination of top-down exploration of policy alternatives by policymakers, together with bottom-up knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial activity in order to progress towards sustainable development. Through our case study of the Maritime Cluster of West Sweden, we propose that sustained incentives for knowledge-intensive innovative entrepreneurship, along with more experimentation and new forms of collaboration by policymakers in the Maritime Cluster, are needed in order for progress towards innovation-led sustainable development to occur.

International Journal of Innovation - IJI completes 7 years

International Journal of Innovation - IJI completes 7 years

Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship and S3: Conceptualizing Strategies for Sustainability

Smart specialization strategies represent public policy initiatives to develop regions based on new combinations of knowledge and industries. The aim of this article is to enrich the theory and practice of smart specialization strategies (S3) by integrating the conceptualization of knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship (KIE). We propose that knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship is necessary in order to specify how public and private support of KIE firms can be beneficial to develop new knowledge relevant to the fulfillment of specific sustainable development goals. We did so by further developing a conceptual model of innovation governance routines by integrating sustainability goals. We also illustrated our conceptual model through two case studies from the Swedish maritime cluster. By extrapolating from the combination of the conceptual model and two case studies, we make three propositions about the different strategic roles that KIE firms can play within a broader S3 policy setting, and in such a way as to promote sustainability-related outcomes.