Creating Communities of Practice: Entrepreneurial Learning in a University-Based Incubator

ISBN-13: 9783030629618 / Angielski / Twarda / 2021 / 261 str.

Oswald Jones; Pingping Meckel; David Taylor

Recenzje

"The book is written in an easy to follow, narrative style while conforming to the usual norms of academic writing, which makes it a helpful read for any aspiring Masters or PhD student interested in entrepreneurship's promotion mechanisms. ... For research scholars in the area, the book presents a number of useful approaches ... . I would recommend this book especially to doctoral students who will find it to be a helpful guide ... ." (Ali Ahmad, International Small Business Journal ISBJ, Vol. 40 (1), 2022)

Spis treści

1. Introduction: An Overview of the Research

1.1 Introduction

1.2 The Study of INNOSPACE

2. Business Incubation

2.1 Introduction and Background

2.2 Definitions of Business Incubation

2.3 Examining Business Incubation

2.4 University-Based Incubation (UBI)

2.4.1 UBIs and the Management Team

2.5 Summary

3. Entrepreneurship, Opportunities and Entrepreneurial Learning

3.1 Introduction

3.2 Defining Entrepreneurship

3.2.1 Defining Opportunity Identification

3.2.2 Prior Knowledge

3.3 Perspectives on Entrepreneurial Learning

3.3.1 Entrepreneurial Learning

3.3.2 Experiential Learning Theory

3.4 Entrepreneurial Learning in the Context of an Incubator

3.4.1 Learning in Communities of Practice

3.4.2 A Learning Model

3.5 Summary

4. Research Methods 

4.1 Introduction 

4.2 Researching Entrepreneurship

4.3 Research Approach

4.3.1 The Case Study Organisation

4.4 Interviews with Incubatees and the Management Team

4.5 Data Analysis

4.6 Summary

5. The INNOSPACE Experience

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Six Individual Pathways

5.2.1 Andy’s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Transitional Phase

5.2.2 Jane’s Experience: INNOSPACE Separating Work and Home

5.2.3 Ian’s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Physical and Social Space

5.2.4 Tony’s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Talent Pool

5.2.5 Paul’s Experience: INNOSPACE as Resource Repository

5.2.6 Kath’s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Driver of Entrepreneurial Spirit

5.3 Analysis: The Incubation Process

5.3.1 Pathways through INNOSPACE

5.3.2 Business Support

5.3.3 The Social Aspects of Business Incubation

5.3.4 Collaboration between Tenants

5.4 Summary

6. The Role of Prior Knowledge in Opportunity Identification

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Prior Knowledge

6.2.1 Prior Knowledge of Markets

6.2.2 Prior Knowledge of Customer Problems

6.2.3 Personal Interests

6.2.4 Prior Knowledge of Markets and Customer Problems

6.2.5 Prior Knowledge of Markets and Means to Serve Markets

6.2.6 Prior Knowledge of Markets and Personal Interests

6.2.7 Prior Knowledge of Customer Problems and Means to Serve Markets

6.2.8 Prior Knowledge of Markets, Customer Problems & Means to Serve Markets

6.2.9 Prior Knowledge of Markets, Customer Problems & Personal Interests

6.3 Analysis: Prior Knowledge and Opportunity Identification

6.3.1 Stream 1: Change and Innovation

6.3.2 Stream 2: Knowledge Transfer

6.3.3 Stream 3: Knowledge Replication

6.4 Summary

7. Learning and Opportunity Development in INNOSPACE

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Opportunity Development and Entrepreneurial Learning

7.2.1 Andy: Learning about Customer Problems

7.2.2 Jane: Learning New Business Skills

7.2.3 Ian: Learning about Networking

7.2.4 Tony: Learning how to Serve Customers

7.2.5 Paul: Learning about Markets

7.2.6 Kath: Learning from Others

7.3 Analysis: Entrepreneurial Learning and Opportunity Development

7.3.1 The Exploitation of Prior Knowledge

7.3.2 Transformation of Identity and Opportunities

7.3.3 Acquisition of Skills and Competencies

7.4 Summary: The INNOSPACE Learning Community

8. Discussion: The INNOSPACE Community of Practice

8.1 Introduction 

8.2 Entrepreneurial Learning and Business Incubation

8.2.1 The Business Incubation Process

8.2.2 Entrepreneurs, Prior Knowledge and Opportunity Identification

8.2.3 Entrepreneurial Learning in a Business Incubator

8.3 Reconceptualising Entrepreneurial Learning and Opportunity Development

8.3.1 INNOSPACE as a Community of Practice

8.4 Summary

9. Conclusion: Contribution, Implications and Future Research

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Contribution to Knowledge

9.3 Implications of the Research

9.3.1 Implications for Incubation Managers (IM)

9.3.2 Implications for Prospective and Existing Incubatees

9.3.3 Implications for Policy-makers

9.4 Reflexive Research Account

9.5 Summary and Future Research

10. Postscript: Creating and Managing a University-based Incubator 

10.1 Introduction: Initiating INNOSPACE

10.2 The Evolution of INNOSPACE

10.3 Managing INNOSPACE

10.4 INNOSPACE: Envisioning a Community of Practice

10.5 INNOSPACE: The Move to Maturity (2014-2019)

10.6 INNOSPACE Case Studies

10.6.1 Lee McAteer: Invasion Camp Group

10.6.2 Fiona McKay: Lightbulb Leadership Solutions

10.6.3 Nick Richardson: The Insights People

10.6.4 Jamie Bettles: Pagoda Project

10.6.5 Dan Sodergren: Great Marketing Works & YourFLOCK

10.6.6 Rob Woollen: Rightway Wellbeing Ltd.

10.6.7 Summary: Building Successful Companies

10.7 Conclusion: Fulfilling the original vision?

O autorze

Oswald Jones is an Emeritus Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Liverpool Management School (United Kingdom). He was previously employed at Manchester Metropolitan University Business School where he established the Centre for Enterprise and the associated incubator, Innospace. Most of his recent research has focused on learning in small firms and has appeared in a wide-range of journals including Business History Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, International Small Business Journal, Long Range Planning, Management Learning, R&D Management and Technovation. 

Dr. PingPing Meckel is a Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom). PingPing is passionate about using learning theories to nurture and support an effective learning community, which can take place in a classroom, a business incubator or learning and teaching practice in an informal setting. PingPing’s background is in Business and Management, and more specifically entrepreneurship. PingPing was a member of the Steering Group for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Business Incubator, Innospace. She witnessed the birth and growth of Innospace, the management team, and most importantly the incubatees. She has been an active member of professional organisations such as the British Academy of Management. To help to promote Entrepreneurship as an important discipline, she gained European Entrepreneurship Educators Fellowship. She was also secretary for the Entrepreneurship Track for six years, assisting the Chair to grow this increasingly popular research subject and community. 

David Taylor is a Principal Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Education Lead within the Department of Strategy, Enterprise and Sustainability at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK), and an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs. He led several initiatives which brought business school students into the University’s business incubator, Innospace, for internships, consultancy projects, start-up workshops, self-employed placements, Masters level study and networking. David has always been at the cutting edge of education from helping deliver the groundbreaking Gordon Brown initiative, the New Entrepreneurship Scholarship scheme, through to the design and launch of the most successful Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship programme in the country, and most recently leading the development of an MSc Entrepreneurship and a Global Online Business Administration Management top-up degree, both focused on international markets. David has published in the areas of green entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial networks, gender and entrepreneurship, and enterprise education. 

Blurb

This book introduces concepts of business incubation and suggests a learning process. This process begins with prior knowledge at the opportunity identification phase, progresses through the acquisition of new skills and knowledge necessary to develop an opportunity and concludes with a transformation phase where new knowledge is acted upon. 

 

The book draws on extensive qualitative data and documentary evidence from a range of stakeholders associated with a University Business Incubator known as Innospace. The process of opportunity development within the business incubator is explored by combining experiential and social learning theories as heuristic tools. 

 

Presented implications for policy-makers and incubator managers are that attention and scarce resources should be focused on providing relevant information and encouraging an atmosphere of learning and mutual support. Recruitment practices should be revised to include a more holistic appreciation of potential incubatees contribution to the Business Incubation learning community as well as an assessment of their business plans. 

 

For policy makers the book suggests that successful business incubators do not necessarily require a large financial investment in state-of-the-art premises and technology. Appropriate management training together with carefully selected incubatees can create an effective learning community where opportunities are developed and transformed into enterprises and individuals into entrepreneurs.