Research Methods and Design

Abstract

The study of entrepreneurship is a multidisciplinary activity within the general domain of business administration and management research. Entrepreneurship research has surged during the last decade; however, it has been frequently anecdotal rather than systematic in nature. Little work has been done covering the venturing activities of scientists. To ensure a systematic approach to the study of scientist-started ventures and to make an initial identification of the variables involved, I planned and conducted (1) a literature survey and (2) an exploratory field survey. The review of relevant theories in chapter 2 identified a number of different areas of study that can be applied to the research of scientific entrepreneurship. Foremost among these is the area of management and organization as applied to entrepreneurial processes. This review also provided a framework for the organization of the case studies and their analysis. The overall goals of this study have been defined to include contributions to entrepreneurial research, as well as to have practical application for scientists, for the universities and research organizations with which they are associated, for potential management partners, and for venture capitalists. The research method and design used were adopted to reflect this multiplicity of purpose: to contribute to the entrepreneurial research base and to offer at least an initial insight to scientist-practitioners and their partners regarding this type of entrepreneurship, its challenges, and opportunities. The underlying principle has been to capture first-hand insights into the multitude of experiences of a number of scientist-entrepreneurs and their partners who have actually gone through this process. Experiences that qualify as specific to the scientific background of one of the partners are, of course, the main target of the investigation, particularly as seen from an organizational and entrepreneurial point of view. The study thus reviews the processes of technology generation and transfer as well as the planning, formation and management of the scientist-started venture with a view to identifying particular variables that influence organizational performance.