Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Towards a Model for Entrepreneurial University Ecosystem in the Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Kenya

Received: 17 October 2023    Accepted: 14 November 2023    Published: 18 January 2024
Views:       Downloads:
Abstract

As the intensive search for answers to varied global challenges such as structural economic shifts and recessions persist, government and corporate leaders throughout the world are increasingly looking to "their" universities to offer solutions that promote regional development and boost national competitiveness. The enactment of an entrepreneurial institutions of higher learning can play a significant role in knowledge-based economies, where knowledge is an influential component of output to advance the economy. The entrepreneurial institution of higher education is one of the key forces that propel social systems, and hence entrepreneurship can be viewed as both a process and an outcome for this force. How these institutions interpret and respond to this call will define the University of the Future. But has their impact been felt so far? These universities are themselves struggling to remain relevant and operational due to economic challenges; more so in developing economies like Kenya where they previously relied on government funding and tuition fees only. This study seeks to investigate the opportunities and challenges for Kenyan universities in transforming themselves to become entrepreneurial universities. This goal is two-fold in that it denotes how colleges are approaching this new epoch of self-reliance, as well as reflects the principles of the entrepreneurial society, of which the university is a part. By offering a thorough analysis of numerous case studies from across the globe, the research deepens our knowledge towards creation of an entrepreneurial institution of higher education ecosystem, and thus offers strategies for Kenyan and other African universities to become an integral part in re-writing the pragmatic role of institutions of higher learning in the economic advancement of their respective countries. Universities are called upon to improve their programs, delivery of the content, the output quality (entrepreneurial students) and meaningful interaction with stakeholders. Entrepreneurial universities will be born and sustained through entrepreneurial degree programmes, creation of corporate alliances, development of entrepreneurial cultures and ecosystems, and development of initiatives and programmes for the commercialization of scientific research, among other strategies.

Published in Higher Education Research (Volume 9, Issue 1)
DOI 10.11648/j.her.20240901.11
Page(s) 1-17
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Commercialization of Research, Entrepreneurial University, University Ecosystem, Opportunities, Challenges, Kenya

References
[1] Aduol F. W. O., 2001. Financing public universities in Kenya: a model based on rationalized student unit costs and staffing. International Conference on Transformation of Higher Education Management Leadership Efficacy in Africa. Nov 12 – 16, 2001, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya.
[2] AI-Youbi, Abdulrahman & Zahed, Adnan & Atalar, A. (2021). International Experience in Developing the Financial Resources of Universities. 10.1007/978-3-030-78893-3.
[3] Appleton, S., Bigsten, A., & Manda, D., (1999). Educational expansion and economic decline: returns to education in Kenya, 1978-1995. The Centre for the Study of African Economies Working Paper Series.
[4] Barney, J. B. (1991) ‘Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage’, Journal of Management 17(1): 99–120.
[5] Bendickson, J., Muldoon, J., Liguori, E., & Davis, P. E. (2016). Agency theory: The times, they are a-changin. Management Decision, 54(1), 174-193. doi: 10.1108/MD-02-2015-0058.
[6] Bryant, P., & Davis, C. (2012). Regulated change effects on boards of directors: A look at agency theory and resource dependency theory. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 11(2), 1-15.
[7] Bennett, C. & Law, M., (2021). Theoretical model for applying agency and resource dependency to public higher educationz. Research in Higher Education Journal, v39.
[8] Bennett, C., (2018). "State Appropriations and Allocation Ratios to Predict Financial Condition at Public Higher Education Institutions" Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/1868
[9] Bickman L. & Rog, D. J. (1998), Handbook of Applied Social Research Methods, Sage Publishers, London.
[10] Bordens, K. S., & Abbot, B. B. (2018). Research design and methods: A process approach. McGraw-Hill Education.
[11] Cardoso, C. (2020). The Challenges Facing African Universities, Journal of African Cultural Studies, 32: 3, 302-315, DOI: 10.1080/13696815.2019.1671812.
[12] Centobelli, P., Cerchione, R., & Esposito, E. (2019). Exploration and exploitation in the development of more entrepreneurial universities: A twisting learning path model of ambidexterity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 141, 172-194.
[13] Clark, B. R. 1998. Creating entrepreneurial universities: Organizational pathways of transformation. Guildford: IAU Pergamon/Elsevier.
[14] Clark, B. R. 2001. The entrepreneurial university: New foundations for collegiality, autonomy and achieve-ment. Higher Education Management 13, no. 2: 9–25.
[15] Clark, B. R. 2004. Sustaining change in universities: Continuities in case studies and concepts. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
[16] De la Torre, E. M., Pérez-Esparrells, C. & Casani, F., (2018). The policy approach for the Third Mission of Universities: the Spanish Case (1983 – 2018). Regional and Sectoral Economic Studies. 18. 13-33.
[17] Edmondson, J. (2010). Knowledge Exchange and the Third Mission of Universities (Vol. 24). UK: Industry & Higher Education.
[18] Eisenhardt, K. M., (1989), Agency theory: An assessment and review”, Academy of ManagementReview, 14: 57-74.
[19] Etzkowitz, H. (2004). The Evolution of the entrepreneurial university. International Journal of Technology and Globalization, 1(1), 64-77.
[20] Etzkowitz, H. (2013). Anatomy of the entrepreneurial university. Social Science Information, 52(3), 486-511.
[21] Etzkowitz, H., & Zhou, C. (2017). The triple helix: University–industry–government innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge.
[22] Etzkowitz, H., Dzisah, J., Ranga, M., & Zhou, C. (2007). Special feature: the triple helix model for innovation. Tech Monitor, 14.
[23] Etzkowitz, H., Webster, A., Gebhart, C., Terra, B. R. C. (2000). Research Policy, 29 (2), 313–330.
[24] Farsi, J. Y., Imanipour, N., & Salamzadeh, A. (2012). Entrepreneurial university conceptualization: case of developing countries. Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 4(2), 193-204.
[25] Ferrell, O. C., & Fraedrich, J. (2014), “Business ethics: Ethical decision making & cases”, Cengage learning.
[26] Foss, L., & Gibson, D. V. (2015). The entrepreneurial university: Case analysis and implications. In The Entrepreneurial University (pp. 249-279). Routledge.
[27] Feola, R., Parente, R. & Cucino, V., (2021). The Entrepreneurial University: How to Develop the Entrepreneurial Orientation of Academia. J Knowl Econ 12, 1787–1808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-020-00675-9
[28] Frølich, N., Stensaker, B., & Huisman, J. (2017). Understanding Strategy Practices in Universities. In: Bleiklie, I., Enders, J., Lepori, B. (eds) Managing Universities. Palgrave Studies in Global Higher Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-53865-5_7
[29] García-Aracil A., & Palomares-Montero, D., (2012). “Indicadores Para la Evaluación de Las Instituciones Universitarias: Validación a Través del Método Delphi,” Revista Espanola de Documentación Científica, Vol. 35, No 1, pp. 119-144. doi: 10.3989/redc.2012.1.863.
[30] Grant, R. M. (1991) ‘The resource-based theory of competitive advantage: Implications for strategy formulation’, California Management Review, 114–135.
[31] Grecu, V., & Deneș, C., (2017). Benefits of entrepreneurship education and training for engineering students. MATEC Web of Conferences. 121. 12007. 10.1051/matecconf/201712112007.
[32] Guerrero, M., Urbano, D., & Salamzadeh, A. (2014). Chapter 7: Evolving Entrepreneurial Universities: Experiences and Challenges in the Middle Eastern context. In Handbook on the Entrepreneurial University (Redford, D. & Fayolle, A., pp. 163 187). UK: Edward Elgar.
[33] Grimaldi, R., Kenney, M., Siegel, D. S., & Wright, M. (2011). 30 years after Bayh–Dole: Reassessing academic entrepreneurship. Research Policy, 40(8), 1045-1057.
[34] Johnston, M. P., (2014) Secondary Data Analysis: A Method of which the time has come. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries 3: 619-626. Link: https://bit.ly/2Z5YhPo
[35] Hakizimana S. & Muathe, S. (2023). Digital Kenya: A Key Driver in Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in Higher Education. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies. 3 (1). 199-211. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55677/ijssers/V03I1Y2023-25
[36] Hofer, A.-R., & Dimitrov, G. (2014). Promoting Innovation & Entrepreneurial Mindsets through Higher Education: Country-level Review Bulgaria (pp. 3 83). Bulgaria: European Commission and OECD.
[37] Kaberia, S. K. & Muathe, S. M. A, (2022). Economic Empowerment of the Poor: Myths and Facts about Microfinance Institutions in Africa. International Journal of Social Science and Education Research Studies, 2(6), 179-1.
[38] Keeney, K. P., (2018). Public higher education institutions’ investment in performing arts centers. Journal of Arts Management, Law & Society, 48(1), 44–56. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632921.2017.1377659
[39] Klein, S. & Mafra Pereira, F. C. (2021). Entrepreneurial university: conceptions and evolution of theoretical models. Revista Pensamento Contemporâneo em Administração. 14. 20-35. 10.12712/rpca.v14i4.43186.
[40] Kindel, A. T., & Stevens, M. L., (2021). What is educational entrepreneurship? Strategic action, temporality, and the expansion of US higher education. Theor Soc 50, 577–605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-021-09443-3
[41] Kuratko, D. F., & Hodgetts, R. M., (2004). Entrepreneurship: Theory, process, practice. Mason, OH: South-Western College Publishers.
[42] Kuratko, D. F., (2005). The emergence of entrepreneurship education: Development, trends, and challenges. Entrepreneurship theory and practice 29.5, 577-598.
[43] Lahikainen, K., Kolhinen, J., Ruskovaara, E., & Pihkala, T. (2019). Challenges to the development of an entrepreneurial university ecosystem: The case of a Finnish university campus. Industry and Higher Education, 33(2), 96–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950422218815806
[44] Lamidi, K. K., (2018). An investigation into the determinants and characteristics of the entrepreneurial university: evidence from entrepreneurial universities in the UK. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield.
[45] Leonard-Barton, D. (1995) Wellsprings of Knowledge: Building and Sustaining the Sources of Innovation, Boston: Harvard Business School Pres.
[46] Leydesdorff, L. (2020). Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations. In Encyclopedia of creativity, invention, innovation and entrepreneurship (pp. 2356-2364). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
[47] Liu, Y., & Huang, Q. (2018). University capability as a micro-foundation for the Triple Helix model: The case of China. Technovation, 76, 40-50.
[48] Mills, P. K. (1990), “On the quality of services in encounters: an agency perspective”, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 20, pp. 31-41.
[49] Mitchell, R., & Meacheam, D. (2011), “Knowledge worker control: Understanding via principaland agency theory”, The Learning Organization, Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 149-160. (8) (PDF) Agency Theory: Background and Epistemology. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320792136_Agency_Theory_Background_and_Epistemology
[50] Molas-Gallart, J.; Salter, A.; Patel, P.; Scott, A. and Duran, X. (2002). Measuring Third StreamActivities. Final Report to the Russell Group of Universities. Brighton: SPRU, University of Sussex.
[51] Muathe, S. M., Wawire, N. W., & Ofafa, G. A., (2013). An Empirical Study on the Relationship Between Organizational Factors and Adoption of ICT among Health Related SMEs in Nairobi, Kenya, International Journal of Arts and Commerce, Vol. 2 Issues 3. PP. 1-16.
[52] Muathe, S. M. A. (2010). The Determinants of Adoption of Information and Communication Technology by Small and Medium Enterprises within the Health Sector in Nairobi, Kenya. Unpublished PhD Thesis, Kenyatta University.
[53] Mukhwana, E., Oure, S., Kiptoo, S., Kande, A., Njue, R., Too, J. & Some, D., (2016). State of University Education in Kenya.
[54] Munene, I. (2019). Kenyan Universities: On the Brink of Financial Insolvency. International Higher Education. 25. 10.6017/ihe.2019.97.10949.
[55] Mitra, J., & Edmondson, J. (2015). Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange. Routledge.
[56] Oanda, I. O., (2013). Implications of Alternative Higher Education Financing Policies on Equity and Quality: The Kenyan Experience. In: Funding Higher Education in Sub-Saharan Africa. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137345783_5
[57] OECD, (2022). Advancing the Entrepreneurial University: Lessons learned from 13 HEInnovate Country Reviews. Advancing the Entrepreneurial University: Lessons learned from 13 HEInnovate Country Reviews (oecd-ilibrary.org).
[58] OECD, (2019). Education at a Glance 2019, Country Note: Korea. [Online]. Available: https://gpseducation.oecd.org/Content/EAGCountryNotes/KOR.pdf4. M.E.
[59] OECD. (2018). A guiding framework for entrepreneurial universities https://www.oecd.org/site/cfecpr/guiding-framework.htm
[60] OECD, (2012). A Guiding Framework for Entrepreneurial Universities. ec-oecd_entrepreneurial_universities_framework.pdf (utadeo.edu.co)
[61] Pederson, L. L., Vingilis, E., Wickens, C. M., Koval, J., & Mann, R. E., (2020) Use of secondary data analyses in research: Pros and Cons. J Addi ct Med Ther Sci 6(1): 058-060. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.17352/2455-3484.000039
[62] Poh-Kam, W., Ho, Y. P., & Singh, A. (2007). World Development 35.6, 941-958.
[63] Porter, M. E (1985). Technology and competitive advantage. J. Bus. Strategy. 10(1), 60–78.
[64] Powell, K. K., & Rey, M. P., (2015). Exploring a resource dependency perspective as an organizational strategy for building resource capacity. Management in Education, 29(3), 94-99. doi: 10.1177/0892020615586805.
[65] Redford, D. T., & Fayolle, A. (2014). Stakeholder management and the entrepreneurial university. Handbook on the entrepreneurial university, 11-24.
[66] Republic of Kenya (2023). Presidential Working Party of education Reform in Kenya.
[67] Reynolds, P. D., Hay, M., & Camp, S. M., (1999). Global entrepreneurship monitor. Kansas City, MO: Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.
[68] Ruiz-Navarro, J., & Gallardo, F., (2003). A Model of Strategic Change: Universities and Dynamic Capabilities. Higher Education Policy. 16. 199-212. 10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300016.
[69] Rupika, A. U., & Singh, V. K. (2016). Measuring the university–industry–government collaboration in Indian research output. Current Science, 1904-1909.
[70] Salamzadeh, A., Salamzadeh, Y., & Daraei, M. (2011). Toward a systematic framework for an entrepreneurial university: a study in Iranian context with an IPOO model.
[71] Sanyang, S. E., & Wen-Chi, H., (2010) International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal 6.3, 3 17-329.
[72] Shattock, Michael. (2010). The entrepreneurial university: An idea for its time. London Review of Education. 8. 263-271. 10.1080/14748460.2010.515125.
[73] Schoen, A.; Laredo, P.; Bellon, B. and Sanchez, P. (2007). Observatory of European University: PRIME Position Paper, version March 2007.
[74] Strachan, A. L., (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on research methods and approaches. Brighton, UK: Institute of Development Studies.
[75] Shattock, M. (2005). European Universities for Entrepreneurship: Their Role in the Europe of Knowledge the Theoretical Context. In Entrepreneurialism and the Knowledge Society (Michael Shattock, pp. 13 24). Higher Education Management and Policy: OECD.
[76] Shattock, M. (2009). Entrepreneurialism and Organisational Change in Higher Education. In Entrepreneurialism in Universities and the Knowledge Economy (Michael Shattock, pp. 1 8). UK: The Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.
[77] Siegel, D. S. & Wright, M. (2015), Academic Entrepreneurship: Time for a Rethink?. Brit J Manage, 26: 582-595. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12116
[78] Simon, H. A. (1965). Administrative behavior, (Vol. 4), New York: Free Press.
[79] Stopford, J. M. and Baden-Fuller, Ch. W. (1994) ‘Creating corporate entrepreneurship’, Strategic Management Journal 15: 521–536.
[80] Streeter, D. H., Jaquette Jr J. P., & Hovis, K. (2002). University-wide entrepreneurship education: Alternative models and current trends. No. 127271.
[81] UNESCO (various), Statistical Yearbook, UNESCO: Geneva.
[82] United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), 2023. 3: Enhancing Entrepreneurship Education and Skills Development | UNCTAD.
[83] Urbano, D., & Guerrero-Cano, M. (2013). Entrepreneurial Universities: Socioeconomic Impacts of Academic Entrepreneurship in a European Region. Economic Development Quarterly, 27(1), 40-55.
[84] Verdejo, C., Tapia-Benavente, L., Schuller, B., Vergara-Merino, L., Vargas-Peirano, M. & Silva, A., (2021). What you need to know about scoping reviews. Medwave. 21. e8144-e8144. http://dx.doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2021.02.8144.
[85] Wernerfelt, B. (1984) ‘A resource-based view of the firm’, Strategic Management Journal 5(2): 171–180.
[86] Wolff, L., (1984), "Controlling the costs of education in Eastern Africa", World Bank Staff Working Paper 702, World Bank: Washington DC.
[87] World Bank, (2019). Improving Higher Education Performance in Kenya: A Policy Report. © World Bank. World Bank Document.
[88] World Bank (2018). World Development Report 2018: the Changing Nature of Work. Washington DC: World Bank.
[89] World Economic Forum. 2017. The Future of Jobs and Skills in Africa.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Kaberia, S. K., Muithya, V. M., Muathe, S. M. (2024). Towards a Model for Entrepreneurial University Ecosystem in the Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Kenya. Higher Education Research, 9(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20240901.11

    Copy | Download

    ACS Style

    Kaberia, S. K.; Muithya, V. M.; Muathe, S. M. Towards a Model for Entrepreneurial University Ecosystem in the Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Kenya. High. Educ. Res. 2024, 9(1), 1-17. doi: 10.11648/j.her.20240901.11

    Copy | Download

    AMA Style

    Kaberia SK, Muithya VM, Muathe SM. Towards a Model for Entrepreneurial University Ecosystem in the Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Kenya. High Educ Res. 2024;9(1):1-17. doi: 10.11648/j.her.20240901.11

    Copy | Download

  • @article{10.11648/j.her.20240901.11,
      author = {Salome Kanini Kaberia and Victor Mwendwa Muithya and Stephen Makau Muathe},
      title = {Towards a Model for Entrepreneurial University Ecosystem in the Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Kenya},
      journal = {Higher Education Research},
      volume = {9},
      number = {1},
      pages = {1-17},
      doi = {10.11648/j.her.20240901.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20240901.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.her.20240901.11},
      abstract = {As the intensive search for answers to varied global challenges such as structural economic shifts and recessions persist, government and corporate leaders throughout the world are increasingly looking to "their" universities to offer solutions that promote regional development and boost national competitiveness. The enactment of an entrepreneurial institutions of higher learning can play a significant role in knowledge-based economies, where knowledge is an influential component of output to advance the economy. The entrepreneurial institution of higher education is one of the key forces that propel social systems, and hence entrepreneurship can be viewed as both a process and an outcome for this force. How these institutions interpret and respond to this call will define the University of the Future. But has their impact been felt so far? These universities are themselves struggling to remain relevant and operational due to economic challenges; more so in developing economies like Kenya where they previously relied on government funding and tuition fees only. This study seeks to investigate the opportunities and challenges for Kenyan universities in transforming themselves to become entrepreneurial universities. This goal is two-fold in that it denotes how colleges are approaching this new epoch of self-reliance, as well as reflects the principles of the entrepreneurial society, of which the university is a part. By offering a thorough analysis of numerous case studies from across the globe, the research deepens our knowledge towards creation of an entrepreneurial institution of higher education ecosystem, and thus offers strategies for Kenyan and other African universities to become an integral part in re-writing the pragmatic role of institutions of higher learning in the economic advancement of their respective countries. Universities are called upon to improve their programs, delivery of the content, the output quality (entrepreneurial students) and meaningful interaction with stakeholders. Entrepreneurial universities will be born and sustained through entrepreneurial degree programmes, creation of corporate alliances, development of entrepreneurial cultures and ecosystems, and development of initiatives and programmes for the commercialization of scientific research, among other strategies.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

    Copy | Download

  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Towards a Model for Entrepreneurial University Ecosystem in the Evolving Higher Education Landscape in Kenya
    AU  - Salome Kanini Kaberia
    AU  - Victor Mwendwa Muithya
    AU  - Stephen Makau Muathe
    Y1  - 2024/01/18
    PY  - 2024
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20240901.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.her.20240901.11
    T2  - Higher Education Research
    JF  - Higher Education Research
    JO  - Higher Education Research
    SP  - 1
    EP  - 17
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2578-935X
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.her.20240901.11
    AB  - As the intensive search for answers to varied global challenges such as structural economic shifts and recessions persist, government and corporate leaders throughout the world are increasingly looking to "their" universities to offer solutions that promote regional development and boost national competitiveness. The enactment of an entrepreneurial institutions of higher learning can play a significant role in knowledge-based economies, where knowledge is an influential component of output to advance the economy. The entrepreneurial institution of higher education is one of the key forces that propel social systems, and hence entrepreneurship can be viewed as both a process and an outcome for this force. How these institutions interpret and respond to this call will define the University of the Future. But has their impact been felt so far? These universities are themselves struggling to remain relevant and operational due to economic challenges; more so in developing economies like Kenya where they previously relied on government funding and tuition fees only. This study seeks to investigate the opportunities and challenges for Kenyan universities in transforming themselves to become entrepreneurial universities. This goal is two-fold in that it denotes how colleges are approaching this new epoch of self-reliance, as well as reflects the principles of the entrepreneurial society, of which the university is a part. By offering a thorough analysis of numerous case studies from across the globe, the research deepens our knowledge towards creation of an entrepreneurial institution of higher education ecosystem, and thus offers strategies for Kenyan and other African universities to become an integral part in re-writing the pragmatic role of institutions of higher learning in the economic advancement of their respective countries. Universities are called upon to improve their programs, delivery of the content, the output quality (entrepreneurial students) and meaningful interaction with stakeholders. Entrepreneurial universities will be born and sustained through entrepreneurial degree programmes, creation of corporate alliances, development of entrepreneurial cultures and ecosystems, and development of initiatives and programmes for the commercialization of scientific research, among other strategies.
    
    VL  - 9
    IS  - 1
    ER  - 

    Copy | Download

Author Information
  • School of Business, Economics and Tourism, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

  • School of Business, Economics and Tourism, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

  • School of Business, Economics and Tourism, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya

  • Sections