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The Role of Universities in Enterprise Innovation Policy: Examining Discretion and Implementation

This research study explores the role of universities as policy-makers in the implementation of enterprise innovation programs. It investigates the reasons for the existence of discretion and analyzes its impact on public assistance and SME innovation initiatives. The study suggests studying the entire context that influences program workers towards objectives that may deviate from societal goals.

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The Role of Universities in Enterprise Innovation Policy: Examining Discretion and Implementation

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  1. HOW MUCH THE ROLE OF THE OTHER? Universities as Policy-Makers in the Enterprise Innovation Arena Arturo Vega Mike Chiasson David Brown

  2. DISCRETION IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ENTERPRISE INNOVATION POLICY • RESEARCH QUESTIONS • Are universities making policy in the implementation of programmes? • What are the reasons for the existence of discretion? • THEORETICAL BASIS • Discretion exists (Lipsky 1980, Long 1999, etc.): • Work requires individual responses based on observation and judgement • Opinions that do not agree with agency policies or with a management desire to curtail discretion • Discretion does not exist (Howe 1991, Langan 2000, etc.): • Centralisation of political direction • Introduction of competition in public services

  3. CASE STUDIES

  4. CASE STUDIES (cont.)

  5. Strategy of policy-makers to take distance from difficult decisions Political decisions on high targets and low resources Poorly-defined goals at highest levels of government Relegation of quality and content aspects Connection between auditors and policy-makers/programmes Design of extensive and vague policies Political design of evaluation and auditing activities Collaboration between auditors and policy-makers/programmes Programme managers write broad proposals to access public funds Misinterpretation of policies by auditors and programme workers DISCRETION CONTEXT FOR DISCRETION

  6. CONCLUSIONS • Duality of roles at universities in the enterprise innovation policy arena: policy-implementers as policy-makers • Discretion is rooted in the political decisions at highest levels of government • We suggest to study policy-making for enterprise innovation using the political economy framework, especially for SMEs • The effect of discretion was negative for both the public assistance and the SME innovation initiative • We suggest to study the entire context that influence programme workers towards objectives that are distant from society goals

  7. Thank you

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