Louis Rhéaume and Mickaël Gardoni
This paper aims to illustrate the quick rise in the popularity of corporate universities since the 1990s. Because knowledge management is becoming imperative to the survival and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to illustrate the quick rise in the popularity of corporate universities since the 1990s. Because knowledge management is becoming imperative to the survival and growth of firms in most industries, better management of corporate universities is becoming more and more critical. The purpose of this paper is to analyze three objectives: Why invest in corporate universities? Which model to adopt? and What are the key challenges facing corporate universities in dealing with the adoption of an open innovation approach?
Design/methodology/approach
The article provides a general review of corporate universities dealing with open innovation by using a creative synthesis.
Findings
This paper analyzes the challenges involved in the development of corporate universities and examines how they can deal with open innovation. While few corporate universities have a real strategic role, several initiatives have failed or have been seriously compromised. To create competitive advantages through a corporate university, upper management must dedicate significant resources and have a plan for building the corporate curriculum in order to deal with innovation management.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the lack of scientific articles on the topic, most of the published articles made by practitioners was used. Further studies are needed to test the recommendations and models.
Practical implications
This paper identifies some development models and growth avenues for corporate universities. It helps provide an understanding of the challenges associated with open innovation as well as their limits.
Originality/value
It is among the first papers to link the development of corporate universities with the open innovation approach. It also provides practical advice for managers and academics.
Details
Keywords
Bede Akorige Atarah, Vladi Finotto, Eimear Nolan and André van Stel
The aim of this research is to determine the stages that women in resource-constrained environments go through in order to emancipate themselves through entrepreneurial…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to determine the stages that women in resource-constrained environments go through in order to emancipate themselves through entrepreneurial activities. Based on their fieldwork, the authors develop a process framework of emancipation-through-entrepreneurship.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 57 female entrepreneurs in two resource-constrained countries in West Africa. Non-participant observations were employed as a secondary data collection technique to provide important sources of information for triangulation.
Findings
This study's findings indicate that the process of female emancipation through entrepreneurship begins with the perception of one's personal motivations, followed by the choice of economic activities, the gathering of various necessary resources, and finally the commencement and running of a venture to bring about the desired emancipation. Various factors, such as family, the external environment, personal qualities and ease of operations, were found to influence the choice of entrepreneurial activities. We also found that human, social, cultural and political capital interact to produce economic capital, a central form of capital for the starting and running of ventures in resource-constrained environments.
Originality/value
Although extant studies have shown that entrepreneurship can be a vehicle for women to liberate themselves from various constraints, it is as yet unclear which process these women follow to achieve such emancipation. The development of a process framework of emancipation-through-entrepreneurship is the key contribution of this paper. Despite extant research demonstrating that entrepreneurship can assist women in financially limited settings to achieve economic independence, the specific steps these women take in the process remain unclear. Thus, this paper presents a process framework that focuses on women in constrained environments and their journey to emancipation through entrepreneurship.