A Comparative Research on Communities of Practice, University Knowledge Exchange and Business Model Changes between the United Kingdom and Vietnamese Agri-tech Start-ups
Main Article Content
Abstract
The paper explores the expectations that agritech startups in the United Kingdom and Vietnam have of the benefits of Communities of Practice (CoPs), and how CoPs help these businesses to tackle the challenges of business model changes for their growth enhancement. The co-creational collaboration between academics and agritech startups when working together on knowledge/experience-sharing through CoPs is also investigated. The research uses a case-study approach, meetings, interviews, and documentary data to capture the events, actions and changes of attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of eight agritech startups towards their use of CoPs. The research indicates a significant change in the business models of the startups when integrating temporal CoPs. These agritech startups often exploit their existing business models, while exploring a portfolio of new business opportunities that could generate new growth engines. Some of them quickly move into a value creation phase by which they achieve quick-wins and medium-term actions that generate both financial and non-financial business value. The research results may have implications for policymakers and practitioners who want to develop these types of interventions. Businesses in other fields can also better understand the value and potential of temporal COPs and start applying them.
Keywords:
Agritech, business model change, university knowledge exchange, communities of practice, startups. *
References
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[3] Aragon-Sanchez, A., & Sanchez-Maron, G. (2005). Strategic Orientation, Management Characteristics, and Performance: A Study of Spanish SMEs. Journal of Small Business Management, 43(3), 287-308. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=17198618&site=ehost-live
[4] BERR. (2010). SMEs in a Low Carbon Economy. Retrieved from www.berr.gov.uk/files/file49761.doc
[5] Brown, C. J. & Proudlove D. (2010). Tri-partnerships in knowledge transfer: Changing entrepreneurial mindsets. Innovation KT conference. https://uhra.herts.ac.uk/handle/2299/25354
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[8] Cross, R., & Parker, A. (2004). The Hidden Power of Social Networks: understanding how work really gets done in organizations. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
[9] Dalkir, Kimiz. 2005. Knowledge management in theory and practice (Elsevier Butterworth Heinemann: Amsterdam ; London).
[10] De-Graft Johnson Dei, & Walt, T. B. v. d. (2020). Knowledge Management practices in UniversitiesL The role of communities of practice. Social Science & Humanities Open, 2(1), 15.
[11] Deloitte. (2020). A Whole New Ball Game: Navigating digital change in the sports industry. 8. Retrieved from https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/global/Documents/Technology-Media-Telecommunications/gx-digital-transformation-sports.pdf
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[14] Glaser, D. A., & Strauss, A. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. New York, NY: Aldine.
[15] Goldman Sachs. (2015). Unlocking UK Productivity: Internationalisation and Innovation in SMEs. 52. Retrieved from http://www.enterpriseresearch.ac.uk/unlocking-uk-productivity-internationalisation-and-innovation-of-smes/
[16] Great Britain & Northern Ireland. (2021). Agri-tech Sector. 1. Retrieved from https://www.great.gov.uk/international/content/about-uk/industries/agricultural-technology/?_gl=1*1sne02r*_ga*mtc1nzezntgwnc4xnji0nti4mdy5*_ga_6h60rml3pl*mtyynduyoda2os4xljaumtyynduyoda3ny4w
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[18] Innovate UK. (2021). Agri-Tech Centres. 1. Retrieved from https://www.agritechcentres.com/contact
[19] Isabelle Roland. (2018). Unlocking SME productivity: review of recent evidence and implications for the UK’s industrial strategy(pp. 25). Retrieved from http://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/is05.pdf
[20] Kang, K. H., & Kang, J. (2009). How do firms source external knowledge for innovation? Analysing effects of different knowledge sourcing methods. International Journal of Innovation Management, 13(1), 1-17. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=37381271&site=ehost-live
[21] Lara Carminati. (2018). Generalizability in Qualitative Research: a tale of two traditions. Qualitative Health Research, 28(13), 7. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1049732318788379
[22] Lynch, Matthew P. & Corbett, Andrew C. (2021). Entrepreneurial mindset shift and the role of cycles of learning. Journal of Small Business Management. ISSN 0047-2778. s. 1–23. doi: 10.1080/00472778.2021.1924381.
[23] Mark Saunders, Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Chapter 4: Understanding research philosophy and approaches to theory development. 47. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330760964_Research_Methods_for_Business_Students_Chapter_4_Understanding_research_philosophy_and_approaches_to_theory_development
[24] Miles, R. E., & Snow, C. C. (1978). Organizational Strategy, Structure and Process. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[25] Müller, C. (2014). Change of business models and the role of the business ecosystem: creating flexibility in business models by companies in hightechnology industries. Dissertation, Graz University of Technology.
[26] Nnamdi O. Madichie, Bolat, E., & Taura, N. (2021). Digital transformation in Wets Africa: a two country, two sector analysis. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 15(2), 15.
[27] Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Clark, T. (2010). Business model generation. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
[28] Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Smith, A., & Etiemble, F. (2020). The Invincible Company. Hoboken, New Jersey, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
[29] Peter Clough, & Nutbrown, C. (2012). A Student’s Guide to Methodology. London, UK.: Sage Publications Ltd.
[30] Probst, G., & Borzillo, S. (2008). Why communities of practice succeed and why they fail. European Management Journal, 26(5), 335-347. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V9T-4SWP24X-1/2/dbb451298682776766f494b7e25154e6
[31] Robert K. Y. (2018). Case Study Research and Applications: Design and Methods. 54. Retrieved from https://www.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/yin_6e_chapter_1_getting_started.pdf
[32] Seufert, A., Krogh, G. v., & Bach, A. (1999). Towards Knowledge Networking. Journal of Knowledge Management, 3(3), 180-190.
[33] Van, B. P., Bloemhof-Ruwaard, J., & Van H. E. (2005). Knowledge Sharing in an Emerging Network of Practice:: The Role of a Knowledge Portal. European Management Journal, 23(3), 300-314. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6V9T-4GCMF1T-9/2/516959cddc41fb7b401d31b100bdddc0
[34] Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of Practice: a brief introduction,
http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm
[35] Wenger, E.; McDermott, R. & Synder, W. (2002). Cultivating Communities of Practice. Havard Business School Press Boston, Massachussets
[36] Yusuf, S. (2008), Intermediating knowledge exchange between universities and businesses. Research Policy. vol. 37, No. 8, pp. 1167-1174