Title: The 'privileged witness': advising scientists to start research-based spin-offs

Authors: Tero Montonen; Päivi Eriksson; Anssi Lehikoinen

Addresses: Business School, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland ' Business School, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland ' Business School, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland

Abstract: The paper explores how a 'privileged witness' (Wright et al., 2007), that is, a business advisor hired by a university, assists scientists in commercialising their research through research-based spin-offs (RBSOs). Prior research on the key actors of RBSOs has focused on what kind of scientists engage in this activity, what motivates them, and how they learn over time. Less research has been done on the micro-level interaction between scientists and those who assist them in spin-off creation. Our study fills this gap in the literature by studying real-life interaction between scientists and a business advisor hired by a university. The primary data for the study consists of tape-recorded discussions. The micro-ethnographic study shows how the business advisor communicates his preferred meanings concerning the RBSO to the scientists, who try to make sense of what an RBSO means and requires from them.

Keywords: research-based spin-offs; RBSO; commercialisation; business development; business advisors; scientists; interaction; university research; communication; sensemaking.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEIM.2016.080006

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 2016 Vol.20 No.5/6, pp.402 - 417

Received: 12 Mar 2016
Accepted: 27 Mar 2016
Published online: 27 Oct 2016 *

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