A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

A Resource-Based View Model in Achieving
Entrepreneurial Innovation for Canadian Universities
Christos Apostolakis 1 , José Carlos Rodríguez 2,3 and Mario Gómez 2
1
The Business School – Bournemouth University, UK
2
Economic and Business Research Institute – UMSNH, Mexico
3
Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Canada
capostolakis@bournemouth.ac.uk
jcrodriguez@umich.mx
mgomez@umich.mx
Abstract: Entrepreneurial universities have emerged as a consequence of survival in a global competitive
environment. It is for this reason innovation becomes so important within the context of entrepreneurship. The
principal aim of this paper is to discuss how well entrepreneurial innovation could be applied and produce
significant and sustainable results in Canadian Universities. This is attempted via the implementation of a
resource-based view approach which allows for specific strategic dimensions to be investigated. Methodologywise
the paper relies upon a qualitative research approach that includes interviews with university students and
members of staff as well as secondary data regarding development of entrepreneurial activity and innovation
within universities in Canada. It is anticipated that a quantitative approach could be used for a follow-up work
which can test capacity for generalisation of this paper’s findings. Current research outcomes verify that
Canadian universities could support technology and knowledge transfer which can be potentially useful for
industry plus that entrepreneurial innovation is increasingly integrated in their culture.
Keywords: entrepreneurial innovation, resource-based view approach, Canadian Universities
1. Introduction
Entrepreneurial universities have emerged as a consequence of surviving in a global competitive
environment. In this respect, universities have been experimenting with a series of cultural,
educational, institutional and legislative challenges (Guerrero and Urbano, 2012). Moreover, it is the
creative and innovative side of entrepreneurship that attracts students today in taking relevant
university courses with the intention to start their own business at some point in the future (Hamidi et
al, 2008). At the end of the day, innovation can contribute to growth, competitive advantage and the
possibility of leapfrogging competition (Lynch, 2012).
This paper investigates the notion of entrepreneurial innovation and how it applies to the context of
Canadian universities. It is an initial attempt to utilise a strategy-based theoretical tool, the resourcebased
view approach in investigating and explaining innovation with regard to entrepreneurial
activities at university level. The reason behind this attempt lies upon the desire to see how
entrepreneurship can align with a traditional area of management, as strategy is and produce useful
outcomes for a core policy area, the area of higher education.
2. Entrepreneurial innovation
It has been widely accepted that an entrepreneurial society needs knowledge-based entrepreneurship
in order to enforce economic growth, employment creation and competitiveness for the context this
knowledge applies (Guerrero and Urbano, 2012). To this extent, educational institutions and
specifically universities have placed important emphasis on the value of knowledge on
entrepreneurship and this is evident by the growing interest on entrepreneurship courses (Aldrich and
Yang, 2012). Higher education institutions worldwide, in particular the ones in the Western countries,
have gone a long way regarding the type and quality of education they have been offering on
entrepreneurship. It seems that there is need to go well beyond learning. This would lead to a process
whereby knowledge and understanding are developed via the transformation of experience within a
realistic environment (Apostolakis, 2011).
In this respect, entrepreneurial universities could become a tool that not only provides a workforce
and added value but also improves the participating individual’s values and attitudes (Guerrero and
Urbano, 2012). Having said this, university activities such as conduct of research need to be closer
defined in relation to industry requirements in order to reflect and enable academics to engage with
other sectors (especially the private one) in new ways (Boardman, 2009). Someone would also add
that while knowledge-based entrepreneurship can include corporate, e-learning and human capital
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