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Publicly funded principal investigators allocation of time for public sector entrepreneurship activities

Author

Listed:
  • James A. Cunningham

    (Northumbria University)

  • Paul O’Reilly

    (Dublin Institute of Technology)

  • Brendan Dolan

    (National University of Ireland Galway)

  • Conor O’Kane

    (University of Otago)

  • Vincent Mangematin

    (Grenoble Ecole De Management)

Abstract

In this paper we explore the allocation of time of publicly funded principal investigators (PIs) for public sector entrepreneurship activities. We examine their allocation of time in general to research activities and specifically at a project level in relation to the type of research, knowledge transfer activity, project impact, deliberate technology transfer strategy and boundary spanning activities using data from a full population survey of publicly funded PIs in Ireland in science, engineering and technology across national and European research programmes. We find that PIs who spend more time on general research related activities allocated a higher proportion of time to technology transfer activities and that PIs who spend more time on technology activities engaged more in end of project reports and collaborative research with industry. In relation to the importance placed on impact criteria, PIs who spend more time on research placed more importance on technology and market impacts than those spending less time on research related activities. Furthermore, PIs who spend more time on technology transfer placed greater value on technology transfer, market and economic impact. We find projects of PIs spending more time on research related activities had a greater impact on technology transfer and a greater market impact, according to the assessment of respondents, than the projects of PIs spending less time on research activities. Finally, with respect to boundary spanning activities we find PIs spending more time on research engaged more in direct consultation with industry end-users and direct consultation with their technology transfer office at the pre-proposal stage of their selected project and they had significantly larger than average amount of industry partners. We conclude our analysis by considering the implications for public sector entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • James A. Cunningham & Paul O’Reilly & Brendan Dolan & Conor O’Kane & Vincent Mangematin, 2016. "Publicly funded principal investigators allocation of time for public sector entrepreneurship activities," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 43(4), pages 383-408, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:epolin:v:43:y:2016:i:4:d:10.1007_s40812-016-0054-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s40812-016-0054-5
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    Cited by:

    1. James A. Cunningham & Kristel Miller & Jose-Luis Perea-Vicente, 2024. "Academic entrepreneurship in the humanities and social sciences: a systematic literature review and research agenda," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(5), pages 1880-1913, October.
    2. Jung-Kyu Jung & Jae Young Choi, 2022. "Choice and allocation characteristics of faculty time in Korea: effects of tenure, research performance, and external shock," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 127(5), pages 2847-2869, May.
    3. O'Kane, Conor & Mangematin, Vincent & Zhang, Jing A. & Cunningham, James A., 2020. "How university-based principal investigators shape a hybrid role identity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    4. James Cunningham & Paul O'Reilly, 2019. "Roles and Responsibilities of Project Coordinators: A Contingency Model for Project Coordinator Effectiveness," JRC Research Reports JRC117576, Joint Research Centre.
    5. Arturo Vega & Claudia Gabbioneta & Carlos Osorio & James Cunningham, 2024. "A micro-level study of research impact and motivational diversity," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 1303-1346, August.
    6. María José Foncubierta-Rodríguez & Fernando Martín-Alcázar & José Luis Perea-Vicente, 2023. "A typology of principal investigators based on their human capital: an exploratory analysis," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 932-954, June.
    7. Walker, James & Brewster, Chris & Fontinha, Rita & Haak-Saheem, Washika & Benigni, Stefano & Lamperti, Fabio & Ribaudo, Dalila, 2022. "The unintended consequences of the pandemic on non-pandemic research activities," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(1).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public sector entrepreneurship; Principal investigators; Time; Technology transfer; Impact; Ireland; Economic impact boundary spanning;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M0 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - General
    • M1 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration
    • O0 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - General
    • O3 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights
    • O31 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General

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