International Journal of Business Innovation and Research (5 papers in press)

• Incubator performance: An efficiency frontier analysis
  by Lise Aaboen, Peter Lindelöf, Hans Löfsten 
  Abstract: Assessments and evaluations of incubators has been a topic of discussion for as long as incubators have been in existence due to the fact that there has not been an agreement on how to determine good performance. This paper demonstrates the use of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) when studying performance of incubators. More specifically, it does so within the four dimensions of cooperation with universities, business networks, external funding and competence development on a sample of 16 Swedish incubators. We show that DEA enables us to measure non-numerical dimensions, and to simultaneously take into account both the efforts made by the incubator as well as the outcomes. Moreover, DEA provides benchmarks and, based on a model that divides the incubators into four different groups, illustrates the difference between the benchmark and the incubators current situation.
  Keywords: Incubators; Performance; Data Envelopment Analysis; Utility; Capabilities
   
• Integration and Reorganisation of Industrial R&D: Deficits and Perspectives of Empirical Research
  by Christoph Grimpe 
  Abstract: In today’s business context, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) have occupied a top-ranking position in their relevance for corporate strategies and growth. Presumably every second transaction is intended to improve the acquirer’s innovative capabilities by combining technologies of both companies. This, however, typically requires a complex post-merger integration project of the research and development (R&D) units. Particularly the integration of R&D seems to have a significant share in sustaining a company’s innovative capabilities as it is a prerequisite for exploiting economies of scale and scope or eliminating redundancy. Surprisingly, there are very few studies dedicated to this research problem. Moreover, these studies exhibit substantial shortcomings with respect to content and methodology and thus only offer fragmentary insights. The purpose of this paper is hence to provide a review of empirical studies and to develop theoretical propositions to shape a conceptual framework for the further study of post-merger integration problems in R&D.
  Keywords: Post Merger Integration; Reorganisation; Research and Development; Innovative Capabilities; Mergers and Acquisitions; Literature Review
   
• From business concept innovation to a business system: a case study of a virtual city portal
  by Mikko Pynnönen, Olli Kytölä 
  Abstract: The growing ubiquity of information technology is enabling the development of new services which consumers can access with existing devices such as mobile or smart phones, PDAs, home and public computers. The services are accessed via community portals that host a variety of services in one convenient virtual place, like a virtual city. The function of the portal is to provide services to citizens whose needs can be better met via a virtual interface. The main argument of this paper is that including the customer into the innovation process and creating a business system based on value flows are the key elements of creating new business models in E-services. In this paper we introduce the business concept innovation process for applying e-government in cities in the form of a virtual city portal. Furthermore, we introduce a value flow based business system for implementing the portal.
  Keywords: Business model, business concept, business system, value network, innovation, portal, E-government, customer need, customer value.
   
• Rabbits and turtles and the quest for entry timing advantage
  by Anni Tuppura 
  Abstract: The aim of this study is to analyze the perception of first-mover advantage mechanisms of groups of firms with different market entry timing orientation. This study focuses on how strongly the firms with different entry timing orientations perceive the various first-mover (dis)advantage providing mechanisms, and how do these perceptions differ according to the industry representation. The market entry timing is operationalized by employing the variable of first-mover orientation that measures the likeliness of the firm to enter the market early. Multi-industry survey data with 299 representatives from medium and large sized firms is employed. The statistical tests is carried out with ANOVA. The result of this study indicates that different entry timing groups perceive the possible first- or second-mover advantage providing mechanisms in their environment differently. The firms, whose orientation to move early is higher, recognize more first-mover advantage opportunities in their environment. The first-mover orientation does not vary across industries. However, the occurrence of the different mechanisms that provide entry timing advantage do vary between industries.
  Keywords: Market entry timing, first-mover advantage, market entry strategy
   
• A TACTICIAN’S APPROACH TO ENTREPRENEURIAL VENTURES: PHASED-STRUCTURING AS A MODEL FOR COMMERCIALIZING INNOVATIONS
  by Andrew J. Czuchry, Jr., Andrew J. Czuchry, Sr. 
  Abstract: The practical execution of an entrepreneurial process for technology-driven ventures in emerging markets can be likened to a maze; a dynamically complex process with many navigational contingencies. While the overall navigational path may appear straight-forward conceptually, the actual execution path inherently becomes fraught with sub-optimal turns and apparent dead-end trails as an entrepreneur dynamically confronts many challenges. The navigational path for effectively sequencing events can be confounding, especially since event outcomes are highly contingent upon timing as well as execution of the appropriate events; seemingly “right” actions can be applied at the “wrong” time in the process with the corresponding result being an undesired outcome. Combining practical experience with academic research, this paper addresses the entrepreneurial process maze by presenting the authors’ phased-structure process model for proactively sequencing effective actions in entrepreneurial ventures. Fundamental to this process model is a “tactician” phase wherein a seven step prescription is introduced to help entrepreneurs navigate the maze and dynamically sequence the “right actions” at the “right time” for commercializing innovations. Both the phased-structure process model and its seven step prescription for the tactician provide practical guidance for technology-driven entrepreneurial ventures.
  Keywords: Conceptual Framework, Technology-Based Start-up Businesses, Process Model, Commercializing Innovation, Entrepreneurial Venture