Policy makers and scholars assume that academic spin-offs, which are firms commercializing university knowledge, grow financially and contribute to economic development. However, a few studies have recently discovered that these firms also create societal impact. This study develops a conceptual framework of the academic entrepreneurship ecosystem and in particular the role of the university in creating societal impact of academic spin-offs. This study employs a case study design of academic spin-offs and firms spinning off from universities and research institutes, in Norway. The results show that the ecosystem and the university are key actors together with business actors in creating societal impact of academic spin-offs. These interactions create a system of societal development. The study extends research on academic entrepreneurship ecosystems and societal impact. Research and policy implications are provided. © Adam Novotny, Einar Rasmussen, Tommy H. Clausen and Johan Wiklund 2020.

In recent decades, policy makers and researchers have taken an increased interest in university spin-offs. Entrepreneurship research provides limited knowledge of the role of the social network actors of external entrepreneurs in the formation process of university spin-offs. External entrepreneurs, who come from outside the university, are likely to use other network actors than academic researchers. This may influence the subsequent development of the firm. The purpose is to develop a conceptual framework for the role of social network actors in the formation of university spin-offs managed by external and inventor entrepreneurs. Literature of social networking, university spin-off formation and external and inventor entrepreneurs guide this study. This study employs a case study design that contains three external and three inventor entrepreneurs of Swedish university spin-offs. The results demonstrate that business actors, support actors and technology actors influence the firm formation process. The study also shows that external entrepreneurs have strong ties (direct access) to business actors while inventor entrepreneurs have weak ties (indirect access) to business actors via the university incubator. University incubators are less important for external entrepreneurs than inventor entrepreneurs because of their strong ties to business actors. The chapter provides implications for researchers and policy makers. © 2017 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. All rights reserved.

This study tests whether satisfaction plays an important role as mediator between trust and commitment, and coordination, cooperation and continuity expectance in manufacturer-supplier relationships in Norway. Management in a sample of the 500 largest manufacturer companies was approached by phone to identify key informants and surveys mailed to them. 193 usable questionnaires were received corresponding to a response rate of 38.6%. The results were analysed by structural equation modelling, using SPSS/AMOS 17.0 software. The findings support fairly well the conceptual model tested; trust relates positively to commitment and satisfaction; satisfaction, in turn, relates positively to coordination, cooperation and continuity expectance. However, commitment fails to show any significant relationship with satisfaction. This study makes an important contribution to management and future research about balancing the nomological network of quality constructs in manufacturer-supplier relationships. Results support the major impact trust may have on satisfactory relationships and the importance of satisfaction when establishing well-working governance mechanisms towards gaining enduring relationships.

In the study we examine whether external entrepreneurs show differences compared with inventor entrepreneurs in the way they interact and network with others in the start-up process, and – if so – how these differences become manifested in their venturing efforts. The study uses a case study design of four university spin-offs across different industries and development stages originating from a Swedish technical university. In general, our findings emphasize the critical role of incubators for supporting the commercialization and diffusion of technology as they bridge structural holes between research oriented and commercial networks. However, we also find evidence that the external entrepreneur model contains network elements that on the whole makes it more effective in the venturing process. As such, the external entrepreneur model seems to be a highly potent technology transfer mechanism with potential to orchestrate efforts to commercialize public research for the benefit of industry and broader society.

The objective of the current study is to test the findings in previous research indicating satisfaction is a mediator between trust and commitment, and among the three important outcomes of coordination, cooperation and continuity expectancy. Researchers contacted a sample of the 1,000 largest companies in Finland and Sweden by telephone to identify key informants, and posted surveys to them. The empirical findings of the current study validate the conceptual model tested; commitment and trust relate positively to satisfaction, and satisfaction, in turn, relates positively to all three outcomes of coordination, cooperation and continuity. The validation of the measurement and structural properties of the tested conceptual model is of benefit to other researchers. The empirical findings indicate that to establish lasting relationships of cooperation, and coordination, companies need develop commitment and trust in ongoing relationships to enhance satisfaction. A contribution is the validation of empirical findings in previous research. Copyright © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

The purpose of this study was to make an international comparison of business-to-business relationships in Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The focus is on testing: a) the validity and reliability of whether trust and commitment have a positive association with satisfaction; b) whether satisfaction has a positive association with the outputs of specific investments, opportunism, and formalisation. This international study consisted of 1,500 companies. The Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish sampling frame each consisted of the 500 largest companies, based upon revenue, across multiple industries. The response rate was 38%. Based on the tested model, it was validated that: a) the most solid positive relation is between trust and satisfaction; b) the most solid negative relation is between satisfaction and opportunism. The study indicates that companies should focus on and strive toward solid satisfaction in business relationships to reduce the risk of business partners becoming opportunistic. The study validates previous research comparing cross-country inputs and outputs of satisfaction in business relationships. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

The World Transplant Games (WTG) is a biennial worldwide sporting event. Most published research relating to WTG has focused on medical issues. However, few studies have examined factors such as psychological wellbeing in sport for this group. The purpose of this study is to provide a description of the English-speaking participants at the WTG and analyze five research questions linked to how (1) health, (2), satisfaction with sports participation (3), perceived competence, (4) health as a benefit of sport participation (5), and impaired health as a cost of sports participation, are related to psychological factors in sports. There were a total of 253 participants with a mean age of 43.6 years, originating from seven English-speaking nations. Four validated psychological questionnaires were used, as well as a screening of background data of the group. The main characteristics of the English-speaking population were university educated middle age men with kidney transplants, who had participated in athletics at a rather high competitive level before the transplant. The main statistical findings particularly showed that satisfaction with sport participation, perceived health and health as a benefit were the dependent variables that explained most of the variance in the analysis. In conclusion, perceived competence, enjoyment and health seem to be critical psychological factors that essentially act as prime motivating factors behind participation in games such as WTG, and ultimately lead to a sense of psychological well-being among the participants. Finally, there is a discussion of future research, as well as the practical value of the results.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to test the validity and reliability of a META-RELQUAL construct in Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach: A total of 1,500 companies were involved. The Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish sampling frames each consisted of the 500 largest companies based upon revenue across multiple industries. The response rate was 38 percent.

Findings: The goodness-of-fit measures of the tested measurement model of the META-RELQUAL construct were all found to be satisfactory within the recommended guidelines. The recommended guidelines for convergent, discriminant and nomological validity, as well as for construct reliability, were all well met. It is concluded that the measurement properties of the META-RELQUAL construct applied in Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish business relationships indicate acceptable validity and reliability.

Research limitations/implications: The tested META-RELQUAL construct appears accurate for those Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish business relationships studied, but only further testing and comparisons will verify whether it can be seen as a valid, reliable measurement for other countries and their companies' business relationships. Suggestions for further research are provided.

Practical implications: This international study is of managerial interest to executives since it provides a framework of constructs to be considered in corporate efforts to maintain satisfactory levels of relationship quality in Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish business relationships. It may also be applicable in other business relationships and in other countries.

Originality/value: This Nordic comparative study of a META-RELQUAL construct contributes to theory since it outlines a higher-order construct and measurement instrument benefitting other researchers and practitioners. It appears unique in making an international comparison of a tested measurement model of the META-RELQUAL construct. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.