bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creating Conducive Environments for Learning and Entrepreneurship
Authors: Gibb Allan
Published: September 2010

The paper argues that there is a need to move away from the conventional focus of entrepreneurship education on new venture management, business plans and growth and innovation, to a broader concept based on an understanding of the way entrepreneurs live and learn. Seven challenges are proposed in this respect: (1) that of creating the ‘way of life’ of the entrepreneur; (2) the sharing of culture and values; (3) supporting the development of behaviours, attributes and skills; (4) designing the entrepreneurial organization; (5) developing the learning to learn capacity; (6) being sensitive to the demands of different contexts; and (7) adding value to existing ways of learning. The paper concludes that meeting these challenges cannot easily be achieved within the existing structure, values and beliefs of business schools, and that new organizations are needed within a university context.
Towards HEI-Based New Venture Generation
Authors: Virtanen Markku , Laukkanen Mauri
Published: September 2010

This paper concerns a business development and support initiative – the Business Laboratory (BL) of the University of Kuopio, Finland. The project is designed to foster the emergence of university-based new ventures. The goal of the BL is to develop ‘incubator-ready’ science-based firms. The BL also supports management team development, encourages the production of cases and generates positive role models. Most entrepreneurship programmes focus on new firms, excluding the establishment of new businesses in large corporations. Particular emphasis is given to the planning and building of an infrastructure and the development of a favourable environment for new ventures. Many programmes offer assistance in matters relating to intellectual property, business planning, training, etc. They focus on the entrepreneurial process after the proposal stage, thus ignoring the stages at which inventions are generated or scientific results converted into embryonic business ideas and innovations. Consequently, the actual spin-off mechanism within a university can be neglected. The BL, by contrast, seeks to influence the critical phases and events in the emergence process, going back to an earlier stage than that at which people normally begin to observe and identify entrepreneurial action.
Managing R&D in SMEs
Authors: Manimala Mathew J.
Published: September 2010

It is a paradox of entrepreneurship that entrepreneurs often have to develop new products and/or modify existing ones for their entry into the market and for their survival, but find it difficult to attract the necessary expertise or afford the costs of setting up formal R&D facilities. This paper examines the ingenious methods employed by entrepreneurs to accomplish this apparently impossible task. Based on a review of the literature and an examination of anecdotes and case studies on new product launches, it is inferred that the principal strategy of entrepreneurs for developing and commercializing new ideas is to identify and leverage network resources. The most commonly used of these resources are: (a) large corporations with a need to externalize some of their activities; (b) small companies with similar or complementary interests but which are unable or unwilling to bear the full risk and therefore are interested in sharing the risk and returns; (c) research institutions that periodically come up with potentially useful ideas but are not in a position to commercialize them; (d) funding agencies that are interested in high returns and therefore are prepared to take high risks; and (e) government and public agencies interested in the development of their domains for which they consider the innovative entrepreneur to be one of the most effective instruments. All these organizations are motivated by self-interest and thus can provide opportunities for meaningful and productive partnerships for the entrepreneur. In this context, new product development in entrepreneurial small firms should be seen more as a social than a technological process.
Collaborative Learning in the Internet Learning Space
Authors: Kayama Mizue , Okamoto Toshio
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study is to support learning activity in the Internet learning space. In this paper, the authors examine knowledge management and the presentation of information for collaborative learning support. RAPSODY-EX (Remote and Adaptive Educational Environment: A Dynamic Communicative System for Collaborative Learning) is a remote learning support environment organized as a learning infrastructure. RAPSODY-EX can effectively carry out collaborative learning support in asynchronous and synchronous learning modes. Remote learning is a learning style in which both individual and collaborative learning are carried out via a multimedia communication network. In the remote learning environment, the arrangement and integration of information are designed to support the decision making of learners and mediators. The aim of the project is to construct a continuously growing digital portfolio database. In addition, the architecture required for the learning environment which includes such a database is examined.
European Higher Education and the Harmonization of Quality and Standards
Authors: Allan Malcolm
Published: September 2010

This paper examines trends in European higher education, particularly in the area of harmonizing quality and standards across Europe. It examines these trends in the context of their influence on the challenges facing the European higher education sector, as outlined in the Bologna Declaration, in developing a world-class higher education system. The response of the UK to this initiative is examined in detail as an exemplar of a national response to these European aspirations. The paper concludes that, although significant progress has been made at national and institutional level, a further overarching effort at European level is required to ensure that the objective of harmony within the context of quality and transparency is realized. It also concludes that significant recent developments in the UK should be observed by the sector in general to inform European-wide debate and further development.
New Challenges for European Higher Education
Authors: Taousanidis Nikolaos
Published: September 2010

This paper outlines the new global environment in which higher education institutions (HEIs) now have to operate. The author considers the threats and opportunities for institutions in Europe and discusses various strategic actions that need to be taken if the region's HEIs are to sustain their quality and increase their competitiveness. He suggests that structural changes, such as internationalization, the integration of new technologies and the ability to diversify, are essential for their survival. He argues too that there are lessons to be drawn from the responses of the banking sector to significant changes in the markets it serves. Finally, the author considers in more detail two of the key issues that European HEIs need to address – those of academic autonomy and collaboration with other HEIs and other organizations. The paper concludes that, to respond to the changing requirements of their ‘consumers’, HEIs must increase the transparency and accessibility of their programmes and, while protecting the essential principles of education, enhance and stress their market advantages.
Knowledge Acquisition and Management Skills Development
Authors: Blanas George N.
Published: September 2010

Improvements in students' capabilities and advances in their learning maturity through the use of groupware technologies in management teaching can be Monitored via a Capability Maturity Model (CMM). During an academic semester, decisions on the type and intensity of technologies used can determine the added – or subtracted? – value in management capabilities developed by students. This paper presents the findings of a research project at the TEI of Larissa that is closely coupled with the European Commission's European Engineering Manager (EEM) and Virtual Development for Europe (VIDEEO) pilot projects. Based on case studies of student groups, the paper demonstrates the usefulness of the CMM in evaluating the effectiveness and learning outcomes of group assignment projects.
Improving the Competitiveness of Companies in the UK Automotive Sector
Authors: Barlow Neil , Chatterton Peter
Published: September 2010

It has been recognized that there is a lack of competitiveness in the UK-based automotive supply chain and that knowledge and creativity at all levels within a company are a source of competitive advantage. It is against this background, and in light of the increasing demands placed on the automotive supply chain through globalization and over-capacity that a number of initiatives have been established with support from the UK government – including the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) Industry Forum and The Automotive College. To improve the competitiveness of companies lower down in the automotive sector supply chain it is necessary for the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and first-tier suppliers to lead any initiative. With this mind, a Merseyside Automotive Group (MAG) was established, chaired by Jaguar Cars with representation from other Merseyside-based automotive companies. Its activities are managed and coordinated from the Centre for Automotive Studies at Liverpool John Moores University. The model developed by the Group consists of an integrated programme with three elements: a Manufacturing Improvement Programme, which aims to transfer the best practice from the OEMs into the supply chain, an Automotive E-Community Programme in which companies can trade, share and learn, and an E-Tools for Industry Programme to raise awareness of the benefits of information and communications technology. The paper describes this integrated programme and its impacts.
A Distance Learning Network in Finnish Lapland
Authors: Arkko T.
Published: September 2010

Creating new business activity and safeguarding the successful competitiveness of existing firms in Lapland and throughout Finland requires up-to-date effective education, product development and supportive applied research. The basic prerequisites are skilled, motivated people and a high-quality infrastructure, as well as a broad-based will to support the development of companies in the region. The use of new information and communication technology is significantly changing the scope of education and the learning process. A good telematic infrastructure with its related services and the ability to use it, together with good bi-directional, interactive communication between local educators and companies are key factors for future success.
Tower Power: Academics' Commitment to the Wealth Creation Mission
Authors: Morris Norma
Published: September 2010

The adoption by universities in many countries of a mission of contributing to wealth creation and social benefit has raised questions, and also concerns, about its effects on academic research and academic researchers. This study used in-depth interviews to examine how a sample of academics in UK biological sciences departments were responding to this change. Although most were engaged in user-oriented research, much of it was undertaken to generate income and was on the periphery of their mainstream research. Their criteria for success continue to uphold traditional academic values. It is argued that the dominance of these values may disadvantage assistant staff working on industry-related projects and encourages a narrow view of postgraduate and postdoctoral research training as preparation solely for an academic career. Thus, for all the apparent readiness of research departments to engage with industry, their engagement appears strictly limited, and this may have implications for universities' performance of their mission in both research and training.
Disentangling Inventorship
Authors: Gates Edward R. , Rader Michael N.
Published: September 2010

Proper naming of inventors on patent applications is of paramount importance under US law. For example, failure to name an inventor (even unintentionally) can have far-reaching consequences, including calling into question the patent owner's ability to enforce the patent or transfer rights in the patent to others. Particular complications arise in the university context, because the legal standards for inventorship often diverge from researchers' expectations based on authorship of papers, participation in a research team, or service in a supervisory capacity An approach that aims to educate those involved about the legal standards set out by the Patent Statute and the US courts can alleviate many potential stumbling blocks. The first step in that regard is to implement a carefully-crafted invention disclosure form for use at the outset of the patent application process. One such form is attached as an Appendix to this article.
Legal Issues within the Intellectual Property Policies of Canadian Universities
Authors: Cates Christopher R.
Published: September 2010

Several Canadian universities use their internal policies to claim some form of ownership or licence right with respect to student-created intellectual property. These policies are examined from a contract and employment law viewpoint to determine their efficacy It is concluded that a university would have significant legal issues to overcome before successfully claiming ownership of intellectual property created by its students. Specific recommendations are presented that attempt to resolve these apparent difficulties.
Regional Network Learning in Vocational Education and Training
Authors: Eicker Friedhelm , Hartmann Martin
Published: September 2010

The vocational education system in Germany is challenged by the wide range of societal demands made on it. The current organizational structure of the ‘Dual System’ of vocational education is too rigid. Teaching in vocational schools and the parallel company apprenticeships are too isolated from each other. Educational provision thus follows the systemic logic of this separation: there is inadequate and only superficial cooperation between school and firm. This paper recommends a change in approach from cooperation to networking. Based on the theoretical instrument of a ‘reflection step model’, an approach for bringing the two sectors together is developed. Examples are given of two research projects that indicate the potential of this approach.
Exploring Relationships between Higher Education and Industry
Authors: Peacock Nicola , Ladkin Adele
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the research discussed here is to explore relationships between a university and its local tourism industry. Although there has been much research on the interface between education and industry few empirical studies exist that test the extent and nature of these relationships. The paper reviews the industry-education interface both in broad terms and specifically in relation to tourism education. Key areas of interaction are identified, and, using an empirical case study, various types of industry-education links are investigated, including: recruitment, employers' preferences in graduate skills, work experience and placements, industry involvement in course design, training for the tourism industry, the use by industry of university products and services, and industry's views on forging links with education. A number of recommendations are made for the improvement of industry-education links.
Foreign Language Skills and Tourism Management Courses in the UK
Authors: Leslie David , Russell Hilary , Forbes Allison
Published: September 2010

The key issues underpinning this article are increasing globalization, development and expansion of the European Union, and the ease of and demand for international travel. These factors collectively are generating greater numbers of international travellers and thus an increasing recognition of the need for multilingual staff. This is perhaps most manifest in the service industries and, it is argued, particularly in tourism. The availability of multilingual staff is, partly at least, a function of education. This article examines the role and position of foreign languages skills in undergraduate tourism management degree courses. The findings of an investigation into the attitudes and perceptions of students of such courses in relation to the study of foreign languages are presented, complemented by the outcomes of a survey of tourism employers. While it is established that the development of foreign languages skills is recognized as an invaluable outcome of these courses, it is surprising that their acquisition is not always compulsory. Limitations in the study of languages are identified as well as key differences between the perceptions of students and those of employers, which highlight critical issues and the need for further research.
Research Methodologies for Planning Ecotourism and Nature Conservation
Authors: Herath Gamini
Published: September 2010

Ecotourism is an important niche market in the world tourism industry. It is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to mass tourism. The emergence of ecotourism was facilitated by the environmental damage associated with mass tourism. Ecotourism is defined in many ways and there is no consensus as to its exact meaning. However, a number of salient elements, such as environmental conservation, maintenance of biodiversity, a satisfying experience for the visitors, study and appreciation of nature and sustainable community development, are included in many definitions. Tourism creates negative environmental externalities in the form of environmental damage. Such adverse effects can have serious implications for the tourism industry because they damage the very natural resource that forms the raw material for ecotourism. Ecotourism ventures should thus be properly planned and implemented and carefully monitored. Proper planning of ecotourism is hampered by the paucity of relevant qualitative and quantitative information. The use of analytical tools such as the Contingent Valuation Method, carrying capacity, decision analysis techniques with which multi-objective and uncertain consequences can be analysed, and other management strategies, such as the Safe Minimum Standard, can be useful in enabling better planning of ecotourism. Ecotourism can thus enhance the opportunities for better management of natural resources while providing a satisfying experience for the visitor.
Tourism Impact Analysis for Danish Regions
Authors: Zhang Jie
Published: September 2010

This paper provides an overview and discussion of the methodologies used in measuring the impact of tourism. The Danish LINE model is presented, together with the tourism sub-model. The LINE model is an inter-regional macro-economic model describing the economy of 275 Danish municipalities. The tourism sub-model is an integrated part of the LINE model, in which tourism data are built as a part of private consumption. The advantage of building the tourism model within the framework of the inter-regional macro-economic model is that many regional economic indicators can be shown from the impact analysis. Regional tourism demand and the economic consequences are presented as the results of modelling.
Assessment of Wilderness Quality Using the Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Ananda Jayanath , Herath Gamini
Published: September 2010

Wilderness is a unique environmental resource that provides a multitude of use and non-use benefits. The use and management of wilderness depend on the assessment of wilderness quality. Current wilderness assessment in Australia is based on two broad criteria, the remoteness and naturalness of the wilderness, determined using geographic information systems. This paper discusses a complementary assessment method using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The AHP can be used to incorporate additional criteria, such as social and cultural criteria, to improve the quality of wilderness assessment. It provides a flexible and compatible method for large-scale wilderness assessments with multiple criteria. The weighting factors for the different criteria can be obtained from expert panels and focus groups.
Relationship of Demographic and Trip Characteristics to Visitor Spending: An Analysis of Sports Travel Visitors across Time
Authors: Cannon Thomas F. , Ford Jamie
Published: September 2010

This study measures the significance of demographic and trip characteristics in the spending pattern of a sports event visitor. An analysis over time was conducted of visitors to the 1995 and 1999 Alamo Bowl college football games. The only significant variables that related to increased spending per day were high income levels and the fact that the visitor was from out-of-state. Factors that decreased spending per day were longer trip duration, children in the party, and low to middle income ($0 to $75,000). Total party size, education level, marital status, and race/ethnicity were not significant factors in explaining visitor expenditures. The authors take the analysis a step further by suggesting a marketing application for bowl-game executives of the study's results.
Messina Hof Wine and Jazz Festival: An Economic Impact Analysis
Authors: Brown Michele D. , Var Turgut , Lee Seokho
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the study was to estimate the economic impact on Brazos County, Texas, of a proposed weekend Wine and Jazz Festival to be produced by Messina Hof Winery. An economic impact analysis was performed using IMPLAN PRO software. The 1998 value of the US dollar and average weekend festival visitor expenditure data from Messina Hof Winery were used as inputs into the model. The results indicated that this single event would generate $892,981 in total sales output, $324,942 in personal income and the equivalent of 21.8 jobs. The conclusion was that the weekend Wine and Jazz Festival proposed by Messina Hof Winery would have a significant positive economic impact on Brazos County.
The Impact of the Cruise Industry on a Region's Economy: A Case Study of Port Canaveral, Florida
Authors: Braun Bradley M. , Xander James A. , White Kenneth R.
Published: September 2010

The cruise industry has become a significant component of the US economy, and Port Canaveral has become the second largest cruise port in the country. This study focuses on the special considerations that must be taken into account in measuring the direct spending of the cruise industry, and uses a regional input–output model to estimate the total economic impact. The impacts are based on survey data for the following three groups: cruise line spending; cruise passenger spending; and ships' crew spending.
The Impact of Day Trips to Daytona Beach
Authors: Braun Bradley M. , Soskin Mark D.
Published: September 2010

Coastal areas and other tourist destinations are popular with ‘day trippers’, who have a substantial effect on local tourism economies and may help to stabilize seasonal demand fluctuations. However, day trippers can also accelerate resource degradation, burden municipalities with higher policing and maintenance costs, and create image problems. Daytona Beach is a destination for which day tripper visitation generates both positive and negative effects which local policy makers need to assess. Analyses of what influences beach area selection, frequency of visitation and party size, and annual per capita spending are used to shed light on public policy issues such as restricting beach driving and an over-dependence on events-based tourism.
Economic Integration and the Tourism Industry of North Cyprus
Authors: Altinay Levent , Biçak Hasan Ali , Altinay Mehmet
Published: September 2010

As a result of non-recognition, economic embargoes and political isolation, hopes for a federal solution have diminished and the economic integration of North Cyprus with Turkey is now on the agenda. In the study discussed in this paper, academics and top managers in the private and public sectors were interviewed to ascertain their expectations concerning the possible impacts on the tourism industry of North Cyprus of such economic integration. The consensus was that economic integration would improve marketing and promotion, transportation, and investments in the tourism industry. However, the success of the industry depends heavily on increasing the competitiveness of the North Cyprus tourism product in terms of price, quality and marketing, and on the successful establishment of joint ventures with Turkish entrepreneurs.
Trends in International Tourism Flows, 1990–2000
Authors: Kester John G.C.
Published: September 2010

Compiling a world overview of outbound tourism volumes is not an easy task, as data are limited and fragmented. In this article data on inbound tourism by region of origin are used to estimate a matrix of inbound–outbound tourism flows. Based on this information worldwide international tourist arrivals by region of origin and destination are analysed for the period 1990–2000. Aggregated data are presented on the (sub-) regional level and thus a useful framework is provided for understanding tourism flows in the world, and to and from the various (sub-)regions over time.
Tourism Growth and Sustainable Economic Development: A Note on Economic Issues
Authors: Mazzanti Massimiliano
Published: September 2010

This note highlights issues relating to tourism sustainable development by focusing on the main linkages between policy instruments and policy objectives from an economic perspective. The work is speculative in nature and offers insights for future research in the field. The author concludes that bargaining for values and property rights is the only feasible mechanism for achieving sustainability, which has to be grounded on transparent asset quantification and economic valuation. These intermediate objectives are both achieved by means of economic instruments for creating consensus on self-enforcing (and therefore feasible in policy terms) sustainable development options.
Entrepreneurship as an Attitude
Authors: Nobre Angela Lacerda
Published: September 2010

This article analyses organizational dynamics as the set of factors that allow an organization to evolve, survive and compete in a global competitive environment. This learning process is interpreted along three dimensions: knowledge management, change management and innovation management, and is contextualized within the current framework of the knowledge society of the information age. Entrepreneurship is interpreted as a positive and necessary attitude for innovative managers who wish to direct effective organizations. The information age and the knowledge society paradigm demand a holistic and systemic approach that is, in itself, the justification for the broad perspective taken in this article. The author also briefly reviews learning theories and management models that focus on the learning organization paradigm – that of knowledge management.
Organizational Learning and Entrepreneurial Strategy
Authors: Gray Colin , Gonsalves Eddie
Published: September 2010

Globalization, deregulation and new information and communication technologies (ICT) are having enormous effects on all types of business. Indeed, ICT are now adding two new sources of entrepreneurial business alongside start-ups and management buy-ins and buy-outs — rejuvenated established firms and downsized, out-sourced former larger businesses. Schumpeter's five key areas of innovation (drivers of competitive advantage and entrepreneurial strategy) have taken on a new resonance as ICT have added others such as supply chain management, market information, financing and distribution. Outsourcing and ICT have made economies of scale quicker and easier to achieve for SMEs, but deeper and more extensive knowledge is required of the capabilities of ICT and of potential partners. Economies of scope also require increased knowledge of internal organizational capabilities and of potential external partners. Various studies in the UK highlight the increased importance to entrepreneurial small firms of ICT-supported networking with other firms and of the organizational knowledge that lies behind successful strategies in these areas. Thus, the ability of individual owners and managers to learn and the capacity for organizational learning within an SME become crucial determinants of success in the new knowledge economy. This paper is based on an intensive study of organizational learning among the smaller members of the UK's Institute of Directors (IoD). It identifies different levels of organizational learning and the characteristics of SMEs at different levels, with particular attention to differences in business strategies. The findings of the IoD study are augmented by findings from the independent non-profit Small Business Research Trust (SBRT). SBRT has collaborated with the Open University Business School in studies on the determinants of management development in SMEs and has longitudinal data for analysing whether there is a connection between growth-oriented, innovative, entrepreneurial SMEs and their propensity to network, to use ICT and to support learning in their organizations. Exploring the linkages between organizational learning and SME behaviour, strategy and performance, the paper concludes with a typology of SME strategies related to organizational learning and suggestions for future research in this area.
Intellectual Entrepreneurship in Latvia
Authors: Sennikova Irina
Published: September 2010

Intellectual entrepreneurship is an emerging phenomenon in Latvia. Intellectuals engaged in business usually succeed regardless of the sphere or product they are dealing with. If the environment changes they can adapt to it; they can see opportunities where others do not, and they can create extraordinary ventures in an ordinary environment. Therefore, the author argues that intellectual entrepreneurship has its place in Latvia, that research is needed on ways to create a climate for it, and that methods to encourage it should be developed.
A Narrative Study of Entrepreneurial Learning in Independently Owned Media Businesses
Authors: Rae David
Published: September 2010

This paper reports on the first stage of a two-year study exploring the learning experiences of the founders of four independently owned and growth-oriented businesses in the cultural media industry. The ventures include independent radio, marketing and design consultancy, Internet business development and cultural media retailing. The cultural media industry is a distinctive sector of growing economic importance, but the development of businesses within it and the acquisition of business and entrepreneurial skills by their founders are not well researched. Even the founders of successful businesses may not necessarily consider themselves to be entrepreneurs, as distinct from media practitioners, and the application of orthodox business and entrepreneurial theories developed in other sectors cannot be assumed to be valid in creative and media enterprises. This study adopts a social constructionist stance in seeking to develop new understanding of the emergence of learning as social practice, which may be shared through narrative accounts and interpreted as discourse. The four owners of media businesses are being followed through an in-depth longitudinal research study as they develop their business ventures and confront new challenges of managing growth and organizational change. Each is engaging in the research process by narrating and updating with the researcher an account of his or her learning experience in starting and managing the business. Their accounts form jointly authored, negotiated narratives that illustrate the development of entrepreneurial ways of working and the application of sense-making to produce ‘practical theories’ of action. The paper presents reflections on the research process after one year by selecting significant themes from the narrative accounts and relating these to theoretical and practical considerations of entrepreneurial identity and learning. To do this, it employs the literary medium of a short story in the ‘ethnographic fiction science’ genre, drawing on authentic speech material gathered during the research process. It explores the themes of identity in personal and social emergence, the negotiated enterprise, and the role of contextual learning in shaping practical theories of action.
Trends in Women's Participation in Mexican Businesses
Authors: Zabludovsky Gina
Published: September 2010

This article presents the results of research on the importance of women entrepreneurs in Mexico related to the rates of females in the workforce, compared with the total numbers of entrepreneurs in the country and with international trends. The significance of women as owners of micro-businesses and small businesses and the increasing diversification of their companies with respect to different types of business are shown. The article also analyses the relationships between work and family and the important role of women in family business in Mexico.
An Analysis of the Predictors of Business Performance in Small Tourism and Hospitality Firms
Authors: Wood Emma H.
Published: September 2010

The data from a national survey into small tourism and hospitality firms were analysed to provide a deeper understanding of small business performance. The analysis used logistic regression to determine the model that best predicts the performance of these firms. The model identifies those organizational variables that greatly influence performance, as well as identifying the business activities that have little or no effect on performance. The practical implications of the findings are discussed, resulting in recommendations for improving the performance of small firms in the tourism and hospitality sector.
Facets of Technology Incubation
Authors: Surlemont Bernard , Nlemvo Frédéric , Pirnay Fabrice
Published: September 2010

The authors review the different facets of the incubation process for high-tech companies and highlight its complex and multidimensional nature. They then assess what are the most critical factors in incubation in the context of the market supply and demand for incubation facilities. They identify two key facets, selectivity and productivity requirements, and through these construct a typology that is founded on non-ambiguous factors. They discuss the implications of this typology using data from exploratory research and suggest areas of focus for further empirical studies.
Universities as Incubators without Walls
Authors: Lockett Andy , Vohora Ajay , Wright Mike
Published: September 2010

Interest in the role of business incubators in the development of high-technology start-up companies has increased dramatically in recent years. This interest has led to the creation of large numbers of ‘formal’ incubators, offering a wide range of business services to facilitate the development of the companies located within their walls. The authors argue that this may lead to a neglect of the role universities play in incubating high-technology start-up companies. In this paper the following question is considered: what kind of role can and should universities play in the process without being ‘formal’ incubators? In answering this question the role of the university in providing access to resources is examined. Based on a new survey and case material, the authors' contention is that universities are now performing many of the functions of an incubator. However, they differ from many ‘formal’ incubators in that they do not have clearly defined walls.
Becoming an Entrepreneur for a Trial Period: The Pre-Incubation Experience
Authors: Wirsing B. , Traude A. , Steffens J. , Sheen M. , Löffler B. , de Lapparent D. , Broadfoot C. , Alonso-Gonzalez J.-L.
Published: September 2010

In most member states of the European Union a major failing of the innovation system is that inventions generated at universities and other higher education institutes are too rarely commercialized by the creation of new, innovative firms. One reason for this can be found in the accumulation of obstacles that prevent academic researchers with a technology-based business idea from setting up their own company. Such obstacles include a lack of knowledge in business management and negotiation skills, the unknown market potential of products and services, high financial risks and the widespread fear of failure. In this article a new and innovative support scheme is described, based on the concept of ‘pre-incubation’ and set up by the Institute for Innovation Transfer at the University of Bielefeld. The core of the concept is a university-associated facility, the pre-incubator, which is a new device for managing the spin-off process. The innovative feature of the pre-incubator is a specific management, legal and insurance structure that allows academic researchers to test the feasibility of their business ideas before they take the risk of setting up a company. The legal entity of the pre-incubator forms an umbrella under which potential entrepreneurs, guided and controlled by the management staff, can test their products on the market, thus gaining valuable business experience. This experience, in addition to continuous training and coaching, is expected to increase the sustainability of the future company. In addition the article outlines how the concept of pre-incubation is currently implemented at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia in Spain and the Ecole Polytechnique in France within the framework of the EC-funded innovation project USINE (University Start-up of International Entrepreneurs). An analysis from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland, which monitors the transfer process of the pre-incubation scheme within the project, concludes the article by identifying the features of the pre-incubator that set it apart from other tried and tested mechanisms. The adaptability of the model to different national contexts is also discussed, as are the benefits and costs to stakeholders and the ways in which they can measure ‘success’.
‘Stinking, Disease-Spreading Brutes’ or ‘Four-Legged Landscape Managers’? Livestock, Pastoralism and Society in Germany and the USA
Authors: Bieling Claudia , Plieninger Tobias
Published: September 2010

Comparisons between the Black Forest region of Germany and the Sierra Nevada foothills in the USA show considerable parallels in the relationship between livestock raisers and society. This becomes evident by sketching the historic course of interactions between society and pastoralism as well as the present situation. The authors emphasize that purely economic or ecological studies of pastoralism are not sufficient to explain the characteristic features of livestock farmers. In both countries a specific livestock farming culture can be characterized by team spirit, a desire for independence from the outside world, ranch fundamentalism, and a special relationship with nature. This set of values and attitudes should be considered whenever dealing with pastoralism, whether in a scientific, political or everyday context.
Factors Contributing to the Marginalization of Shifting Cultivation in North-East India: Micro-Scale Issues
Authors: Choudhury Dhrupad , Sundriyal R.C.
Published: September 2010

Shifting cultivation, locally known as jhum, is the predominant agricultural practice for most communities inhabiting the uplands of north-east India. The negative impacts of the practice on forest and biological resources, soil erosion and land degradation have been a serious concern for several decades now to administrators and planners as well as to the academic community. In the current context, the practice has undergone drastic changes and has become increasingly unviable, gradually leading to the marginalization of farmers practising it. Although shifting cultivation in this area has been the focus of intensive studies, particularly in terms of the underlying ecological dynamics, few have attempted to analyse the factors contributing to the marginalization of the practice. This paper examines micro-scale issues that contribute to reducing productivity (and hence marginalization), and which are of immediate concern to the shifting cultivator. The paper focuses on fundamental issues influencing the reduction in fallow cycle lengths, the impact of rural–urban migration on labour requirements for agriculture, the consequences of inadequate employment and cash generation facilities on labour availability and crop productivity, as well as government efforts to promote agricultural productivity in these areas. The main focus of the paper is on the impact of each of these factors and their synergystic effect on the marginalization of shifting cultivation.
Electronic Commerce and Opportunities for Agribusiness in India
Authors: Rao N.H.
Published: September 2010

Electronic commerce (or e-commerce) using Internet technologies helps businesses to cut costs and cycle times, raise efficiency and provide more information, choice and value to consumers. Agribusinesses in India will need to deploy Internet technologies to gain competitive advantage and avoid isolation from mainstream businesses. Some challenges to becoming e-commerce-enabled are technical (limited infrastructure for Internet access), some are government policy-related (bandwidth, free movement of goods across states, market and trade policies), and some are legal. Many of these challenges are being addressed through both public and private initiatives. Some are specific to agribusiness: for example, relating to scope, regional specificity, the multidisciplinary nature of agricultural services, and trade restrictions on agro-products. Low levels of computer literacy and innumerable local languages compound these challenges. A two-stage strategy is suggested for agribusiness, one for improving operational efficiencies within businesses by using Internet technologies in back office business operations, and the other for delivering both knowledge and products to farmers. The first requires deploying new, generic and cost-effective Internet technologies with open standards and protocols. The second requires using Internet technologies for strategic positioning of products and services to gain long-term competitive advantage. The latter would mean persisting with conventional business strategy while using the Internet as an effective front end.
Role of Women in the Household Economy, Food Production and Food Security
Authors: Kotzé Derica A.
Published: September 2010

How to assist the rural poor to enhance their livelihoods and food security in a sustainable way is one of the greatest challenges we face. Food security strategies should be based on the premise that food insecurity and famine derive from failure of access to food rather than global food shortage. Food security is mainly about the access of poor households to food and about how political, economic and social factors affect households' food security. In this article, the relationship between hunger and poverty, the meaning of food security and sustainable livelihood security are explored. The article focuses on food security as one of the important elements of sustainable livelihood approaches, analysing the role of women in the household economy, food production and ultimately food security. Finally it assesses policy guidelines for promoting these approaches.
Critical Review of Agricultural Science in China
Authors: Biao Xie , Xi-Ping Deng , Xiangliang Pan
Published: September 2010

China has succeeded in sustaining 22% of the world's population with only 7% of the world's farmland. In recent decades, agricultural science has been rapidly developed in China. The objective of this paper is to give a critical review of agricultural science in China from the perspectives of characteristics of regional agriculture, historical evolution of the agricultural system, agricultural policy, and agricultural science and technology. Challenges and perspectives for the development of agricultural science are also identified.
Wheat Yield Improvement in Eroded Semi-Arid Areas of China
Authors: Xi-Ping Deng , Lun Shan , Shinobu Inanaga , Rami Keren
Published: September 2010

The greatest fear from global climate change is drought, and water is the most important factor influencing wheat growth. Soil and water conservation are, therefore, key requirements for sustaining productivity and environmental quality in semi-arid cropping systems. Great attention has been paid to the management of, demand for, and more efficient use of water. The comprehensive technical strategies reviewed in this paper include conserving water to combine both increased agricultural productivity and resource conservation; enquiries into how wheat plants respond to drought through morphological, physiological and metabolic modifications that occur in all plant organs; breeding for drought tolerance where there is a delineated stress environment and genotype × environment interactions are stable; and effective conservation of rainfall and high efficiency of use. Valuable techniques such as conservation tillage, mulch cultivation, limited irrigation, introduction of drought-tolerant varieties and rotation systems can be adjusted to local agricultural practices.
Corporate Discourse and the Academy
Authors: Webster Gary
Published: September 2010

European higher education is adopting a free-market or corporate-business discourse. Increasingly the academy is talked about in terms of a ‘knowledge industry’ or ‘revenue generator’, where intellectual resources are ‘leveraged’, and knowledge is a ‘commodity’. Critical analyses of the vocabulary, imagery, rhetoric and assumptions featured in popular business texts suggest a discourse which can be characterized as management-centred, ethically decontextualized, universalizing, libertarian, Darwinian, consumerist, and alarmist. Its adoption within the academy has important implications for the future of European higher education.
University—Enterprise Seminars as Tools for Preparing Students for the World of Work
Authors: Normak Peeter
Published: September 2010

This paper presents a model for university–enterprise joint seminars consisting of three phases: (1) preparation of students for the seminar (study of a company, discussion of the company in a group, composition of a general characterization of the company); (2) a seminar in the company (introduction by supervising university teacher, presentation of the company, discussion, a company tour); and (3) a report from students on various aspects of the company. At the end of the semester, each student presents a form-based analytical report. The paper examines this approach in the light of three years experience in running such seminars.
Technology Transfer: Creating the Right Environment
Authors: McCullough John M.
Published: September 2010

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are viewed as the backbone of many European economies and as an engine house for future economic growth. Many SMEs, however, are constrained by limited technical and other resources that slow down product and process innovation. Universities are seen as key players in both encouraging and supporting economic growth through technology and, more broadly, knowledge-related transfer. To maximize the potential that transfer has to offer, particular attention must be given to creating the right ‘transfer environment’. The success rate of technology transfers depends on the transfer instrument adopted, the stage at which transfer is contemplated, and the successful blending of both ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ systems. The influence of these factors on future economic growth and job creation are reviewed.