Adding the entrepreneurial orientation among the theoretical perspectives to analyse the development of research-based spin-offs

Abstract

To date, research-based spin-offs (RBSOs) have been studied from an institutional perspective, from an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) or from a resource-based view. Although scholars have expressed an interest in studying RBSOs, nobody has incorporated the three different perspectives into a single integrated model. Therefore, the present article aims to develop a holistic theoretical framework, studying the human, financial, technological and social resources of an RBSO and highlighting whether the EO influences an RBSO during its generation and development phases. A case study from the information and communication technology sector was selected, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire complemented with in-depth and on-site interviews. The holistic framework adopted allowed to highlight the peculiarities of the RBSO: the marked vocation for scientific research, the EO of the founding team and the important role of the parent organization, mostly in supplying intangible assets. The emerged evidence shows how it is possible to generate and develop a successful RBSO, providing useful insights from both academic and managerial viewpoints.