Human Capital, Social Networks and New Firm Formation - The Role of Academic and External Entrepreneurs in University Spin-offs
Doktorsavhandling, 2018

There is a debate about the development and performance of university spin-offs, i.e. firms created to commercialize university knowledge. Teams of academic entrepreneurs (researchers) create most of these firms, but external entrepreneurs who come from outside the universities and have not necessarily developed the technology can create higher performance. However, knowledge about academic and external entrepreneurs’ human capital and social networks are underdeveloped. The purpose of this thesis is to develop a conceptual framework of the imprints of academic and external entrepreneurs’ human capital and social networks on the formation and development of university spin-offs. The thesis contains five research papers investigating the characteristics and performance of university spin-offs, academic and external entrepreneurs’ human capital, and social networks and entrepreneurial team formation. The thesis employs a survey design in two papers and a case study design in three papers.   Paper 1 shows that networking with parent universities contributes to developing breakthrough technologies and employing university graduates. Paper 2 shows that university spin-offs with mixed (academic and industry) origins imprint long-term performance and that external entrepreneurs have the highest long-term performance. Paper 3 shows three types of external entrepreneurs, who influence firm formation in a different way than academic entrepreneurs do. Paper 4 shows that academic and external entrepreneurs produce similar and different network content, network governance and network structure. Paper 5 shows that academic and external entrepreneurs create different types of entrepreneurial teams. The thesis contributes to entrepreneurship research by: adding to the theory of organizational imprinting; extending research on human capital and social networking complementarity; extending entrepreneurial team research and nuancing the types of entrepreneurs in university spin-offs. The thesis ends with implications for researchers and policymakers.

organisational imprinting

social networks

entrepreneurial team

academic entrepreneurs

university spin-offs

external entrepreneurs

human capital

Vasa A, Vera Sandbergs Alle 8, 412 96 Göteborg
Opponent: Professor Lene Foss, UiT, The Artic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.

Författare

Anders Billström

Chalmers, Teknikens ekonomi och organisation

Billström, A., Gabrielsson, J., and D. Politis (2018). Technology Entrepreneurship and Economic Evolution: The Role and Contribution of University spin-offs in the Regional Innovation System of Scania (Sweden).

Lindholm-Dahlstrand, Å, and A. Billström (2017). Corporate and University spin-offs: A Study of Long-term Performance.

Billström, A. (2017). Academic and External Entrepreneurs’ Human Capital in the Formation of University spin-offs.

Billström, A., D. Politis, and J. Gabrielsson (2014). Entrepreneurial Networks in University spin-offs – An Analysis of the External-entrepreneur model.

Billström, A. (2018).The Formation of Entrepreneurial Teams in University spin-offs – A Case Comparison of Academic and External Entrepreneurs.

Drivkrafter

Innovation och entreprenörskap

Ämneskategorier

Företagsekonomi

ISBN

978-91-7597-689-1

Doktorsavhandlingar vid Chalmers tekniska högskola. Ny serie: 4370

Utgivare

Chalmers

Vasa A, Vera Sandbergs Alle 8, 412 96 Göteborg

Opponent: Professor Lene Foss, UiT, The Artic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2018-10-26