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Entrepreneurship.

This case is intended for teaching entrepreneurship in any tertiary institution including graduate business schools where the case study method is used. It can also add value to groups interested in creating social value such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It can be taught in a 60-90 minute class depending on the size of the class and type of audience.

The case highlights features of indigenous entrepreneurship in a traditional African setting and showcases the merits of traditional training methods. An intriguing case of a social enterprise, inspired by the difficult experiences of an entrepreneur, who grew up in dire poverty. The polygamous family situation she was in led to establishing an enterprise that ensured her livelihood and a means to lift others from poverty. The case provides a unique model of a hybrid family business and social enterprise and illustrates that businesses can do good and still do well financially.

Learning points include: appreciation of the socio-cultural and economic context of indigenous entrepreneurs; entrepreneurial motivations and their impact on society; how traditional societies transmit entrepreneurial skills; illustration of how theoretical frameworks like network theory and effectuation impact on entrepreneurial ventures; and how challenges of family businesses such as leadership and succession may be overcome through timely planning.

Teaching notes are available, consult your librarian for access.

In recent times, extant literature increasingly underscores the importance of indigenous innovations. This chapter provides an empirical illustration that a collaboration between indigenous knowledge systems and mainstream knowledge systems will not only help overcome the shortcomings in both systems, but also result in more cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions. The chapter also advocates for public policies that facilitate the development and dissemination of such innovations. Using a case study from the Nigerian context, a framework is provided in this chapter, to illustrate how scientific knowledge can be applied to indigenous innovations to result in the next generation of sustainable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions.

The authors aim to develop and test hypotheses that link outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities of small high-tech firms to their radical innovativeness. In addition, they seek to investigate how a firm's strategy moderates the associations between their outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities and radical innovativeness.

The authors utilized regression analytical technique and categorical moderation analytical technique to test their hypotheses on survey data of 579 firms.

Results show that outsourcing has a positive association with radical innovativeness. In contrast, subcontracting-in shows a negative association with radical innovativeness. Finally, the influence of both outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities on radical innovativeness are contingent upon a firm's manufacturing strategy.

There are potential limitations relating to the authors' use of secondary data. There is a need to investigate the processes through which outsourcing and subcontracting-in relate to innovation performance.

An implication of this study is that in order to develop radical innovativeness, firms need to consider their strategic or competitive inclination when evaluating their outsourcing and subcontracting-in decisions and activities.

There are also social implications since outsourcing and subcontracting-in activities involve social relationships.

Linking boundary spanning activities of firms to innovation performance represents a contribution to the literature. Further, establishing that the effectiveness of such boundary activities depends on a firm's specific manufacturing strategy represents a contribution.

The purpose of this paper is to outline findings from practitioner research with a university faculty learning community (FLC) that organized itself to effect bottom-up change. The study explores beliefs about the efficacy of collaboration among members of the FLC and serves as a best case of grassroots faculty collaboration during a period of institutional change.

This is a case study using semi-structured interviews with FLC members and document review of short-term learning data from students who participated in workshops offered by the FLC.

Creative faculty responses to challenges posed by large-scale institutional transformation improved the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students. This case study highlights four characteristics that were crucial to the success of this FLC and which could provide a helpful starting point for faculty collaboration at other institutions.

This is a preliminary, self-reflective study with a small number of participants working at a unique institution. Findings are presented not as strictly generalizable truths about faculty collaboration in higher education, but as “lessons learned” that may be valuable to other faculty seeking to take a more proactive role in contexts of institutional change.

This case study highlights four characteristics that were crucial to the success of this FLC and which could provide a helpful starting point for faculty collaboration at other institutions.

This study illustrates how bottom-up, faculty-led collaboration can address institutional problems in a university setting. Creative faculty responses to challenges posed by large-scale institutional transformation can improve the teaching and learning environment for faculty and students.

This study documents one FLC’s innovative responses to institutional challenges and shifts the conversation about university-based teaching and learning away from bureaucratic mandates related to faculty interactions and productivity and toward faculty’s organic responses to changing institutional conditions.