Papers by Maurizio Sobrero
Lo Sviluppo del Corporate Venture Capital
Journal of Managerial Psychology, May 13, 2019
Purpose. This study explores how the process of work identity construction unfolds for gig worker... more Purpose. This study explores how the process of work identity construction unfolds for gig workers experiencing unstable working relationships in online labor markets. In particular, it investigates how digital platforms, intended both as providers of technological features and online environments, affect this process. Design. We conducted an exploratory field study and collected data from 46 interviews with freelancers working on one of the most popular online labor markets and from online documents such as public profiles, job applications, and archival data. Findings. Our findings reveal that the online environment constrains the action of workers who are pushed to take advantage of the platform's technological features to succeed. This interplay leads workers to add new characteristics to their work self and they end up developing an entrepreneurial orientation. Practical implications. Our study offers insights to platform providers interested in improving workers' experiences in online labor markets, highlighting mechanisms for uncertainty reduction, and diversifying a platform's services according to gig workers' identities and orientations. Value. Our study expands our knowledge on work identity construction processes of gig workers, detailing the relationship between work identity and IT, and documents previously unexplored antecedents of entrepreneurial orientation in non-standard working contexts.
Organisational Change and the Institutionalisation of University Patenting Activity in Italy
Social Science Research Network, 2010
ABSTRACT In this paper, using a neo-institutional perspective, we model inter-temporal organisati... more ABSTRACT In this paper, using a neo-institutional perspective, we model inter-temporal organisational responses applied to the diffusion and evolution of regulations and practices in university patenting activities. Our study is located in Italy, and it is based on the complete list of patent regulations issued by the population of Italian universities, between 1993 and 2009. We show that in environments characterised by high levels of centralization (i.e. Italy), once each university was allowed to define modes and rules for its own activities, they searched locally, adopting mimetic behaviours, replicating the practices of the most prestigious and visible academic institutions. We also show that, once legislatively re-constrained, the organisational solutions identified by universities were legitimated by the emergence of a community of practice that, developing a set of norms and routines, formed the basis for the occurrence of normative isomorphism. This sequence of different isomorphic behaviours generated severe constraints to the effectiveness of new regulatory policies. Cohercive isomorphism induced by state legislation, therefore, not only became unable to reach the targeted goals, but also indirectly reinforced the dynamics generated by normative isomorphism. Implications for theory and policy are discussed.
Le politiche per l'innovazione in Emilia e Romagna tra il 2002 e il 2006
Journal of Behavioral Finance, Jan 2, 2019
We investigate the disposition effect building on Realization Utility Theory and Big Five Model. ... more We investigate the disposition effect building on Realization Utility Theory and Big Five Model. Our experimental analysis, combining NEO IP-R personality measures with individual financial data from a trading simulation run by 230 individuals, shows that the disposition effect is driven by two distinct psychological processes, one related to holding losers and the other to selling winners. These two behavioral mechanisms are uncorrelated and influenced by different personality traits.
Factors Fostering Academics to Start Up New Ventures: An Assessment of Italian Founders' Incentives
Social Science Research Network, Feb 11, 2009
Abstract Why do university researchers decide to start-up a new venture? How can we distinguish b... more Abstract Why do university researchers decide to start-up a new venture? How can we distinguish between the different factors influencing such an important decision? To what extent are specific policies activated within universities relevant in the process of new venture creation? In this paper we try to answer these very significant questions, through an empirical analysis performed on a sample of 88 Italian academics involved in the creation of 47 spin-offs between 1999 and 2005. Our findings show that the availability of ...
To Patent or Not to Patent? A Survey of Italian Inventors on Motivations, Incentives and Obstacles to University Patenting
Social Science Research Network, Aug 24, 2006
Abstract This paper reports results from a survey of 208 Italian faculty members, inventors of un... more Abstract This paper reports results from a survey of 208 Italian faculty members, inventors of university-owned patents, on their motivation to get involved in university patenting activities, the obstacles that they faced, and their suggestions to foster the commercialization of academic knowledge through patents. Findings show that respondents get involved in patenting activities to enhance their prestige and reputation, and look for new stimuli for their research; personal earnings do not represent a main incentive. University-level patent ...
Inter-organizational architecture and innovative processes
Page 1. Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. Page 6. Page 7. Page 8. Page 9. Page 10. Page 11. Page 12... more Page 1. Page 2. Page 3. Page 4. Page 5. Page 6. Page 7. Page 8. Page 9. Page 10. Page 11. Page 12. Page 13. Page 14. Page 15. Page 16. Page 17. Page 18. Page 19. Page 20. Page 21. Page 22. Page 23. Page 24. Page 25. Page 26. Page 27. Page 28. Page 29. Page 30. Page 31. Page 32. Page 33. Page 34. Page 35. Page 36. Page 37. Page 38. Page 39. Page 40. Page 41. Page 42. Page 43. Page 44. Page 45. Page 46. Page 47. Page 48. Page 49. Page 50. Page 51. Page 52. Page 53. Page 54. Page 55. Page 56. Page 57. Page 58. Page 59. ...
Innovazione tecnologica e gestione d’impresa: La gestione strategica dell’innovazione
Journal of Technology Transfer, May 26, 2020
This paper adopts a multilevel, longitudinal case study approach to analyze universities' institu... more This paper adopts a multilevel, longitudinal case study approach to analyze universities' institutional role and their contributions to society. It explores third mission policies and practices enacted within the University of Bologna from 1996 to 2016, presenting a detailed account of their interaction within the university and with regional and national regulatory initiatives. The aim is to highlight the relevance of a joint analysis of three dynamics. The first dynamic relates to how norms and practices oscillate between formal and informal codification and how strategic initiatives, either led from the top down or driven from the bottom up, develop in a non-linear fashion. The second dynamic describes the ways within which the structural definition of roles falls short in providing a full understanding of the changes in policies and attitudes related to knowledge transfer activities and their need to be complemented by a process analysis of the relationships among actors at different levels. The third dynamic relates to how multiple institutional logics evolve and change over time through a combination of dedicated structures and spaces of interaction in which the logics meet, sometimes aligning, sometimes compromising, and sometimes clashing. This three-pronged approach offers a novel contribution to the understanding of how universities interact with close and distant environments and their impacts on society.
Institutional changes and the commercialization of academic knowledge: A study of Italian universities’ patenting activities between 1965 and 2002
Research Policy, May 1, 2006
This paper focuses on Italian universities' patenting activities between 1965 and 2002 a... more This paper focuses on Italian universities' patenting activities between 1965 and 2002 and on the way they were affected by internal IPR regulations, set as part of broader responses to the increased level of autonomy granted to universities during the 1990s. Our analyses are ...
The interplay between public research organizations and local context in supporting academic spin-offs
The Academy of Management, 2009
Overall this study provides an investigation of different \u2018support mechanisms\u2019 devised ... more Overall this study provides an investigation of different \u2018support mechanisms\u2019 devised to facilitate the emergence of academic spin-offs. More specifically, we have contributed to improve our understanding of the effect of University-Level Support Mechanisms for academic spin-offs\u2019 creation and growth, and have highlighted their role in contrast to Local-Context Support Mechanisms, available to any new start-up in the context in which they operate
Elementi per lo studio dello sviluppo di innovazione tecnologica
Il Mulino eBooks, 2005
OSIRIDE - L’Osservatorio Degli Spin-Off Della Ricerca Della Regione Emilia Romagna (OSIRIDE - The Observatory of Science-Based Spin-Offs in Emilia Romagna)
Social Science Research Network, 2008
Italian Abstract: Il report e' volto a caratterizzare la popolazione delle 83 imprese nate da... more Italian Abstract: Il report e' volto a caratterizzare la popolazione delle 83 imprese nate dalla ricerca pubblica delle 5 universita' e 3 centri di ricerca, fra il 1997 e il 2007, in Emilia Romagna. L'osservatorio OSIRIDE e' un progetto del Dipartimento di Scienze Aziendali dell'Universita' di Bologna e di ASTER. English Abstract: In this report we characterise the population of 83 science-based ventures, spun-off from the 5 public universities and 3 public research centres, between 1997 and 2007, in Emilia Romagna (Italy). The OSIRIDE observatory is a joint effort of the Department of Management of the University of Bologna and ASTER.
Motivations and incentives for patenting within universities: a survey of italian inventors, paper accepted for presentation at the Academy of Management meeting
... MOTIVATIONS AND INCENTIVES FOR PATENTING WITHIN UNIVERSITIES A SURVEY OF ITALIAN INVENTORS NI... more ... MOTIVATIONS AND INCENTIVES FOR PATENTING WITHIN UNIVERSITIES A SURVEY OF ITALIAN INVENTORS NICOLA BALDINI 1 , ROSA GRIMALDI 2 , MAURIZIO SOBRERO 3 1 Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Discipline Economico-Aziendali ...
The foundation of entrepreneurial intention
ABSTRACT Individual intentions influence human behaviors and, as a consequence, organizational ou... more ABSTRACT Individual intentions influence human behaviors and, as a consequence, organizational outcomes. Therefore, the ability to understand and to predict intentions becomes a central issue in the managerial literature. In this contribution we study the formulation of entrepreneurial intentions. Drawing on a widely used intentional paradigm, the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), we model the influence of individual characteristics and contextual variables on the intention formation process. Relying on a sample of 200 entrepreneurs, founders of 133 new-technology-based firms, we test a theoretical model of the micro-foundation of entrepreneurial intention. Our results show that entrepreneurial intention is influenced by psychological characteristics, by individual skills and by environmental influences. Managerial implications related to the creation of the conditions fostering entrepreneurial intentions within companies are discussed.
Student Entrepreneurship: Demographics, Competences and Obstacles
In this report, we use a population-based approach to explore the entrepreneurial activities of 6... more In this report, we use a population-based approach to explore the entrepreneurial activities of 61,115 students, alumni of the 64 Italian universities that are members of the AlmaLaurea consortium, in the second half of 2014. Data were collected through a newly developed section of the AlmaLaurea survey, which will be consolidated in future rounds to allow to continue mapping student entrepreneurship in Italy and to provide robust empirical evidence to longitudinal analyses. Our results show that student entrepreneurs represent 2.7% of the sample whereas nascent entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs account for 3.8% and 93.5%, respectively. We profile and compare the three groups across several dimensions, such as demographics, mobility, field of study, sources of stimuli and competences, perceived obstacles, and support for entrepreneurship. The results shed light on the timely and relevant, yet understudied, phenomenon of student entrepreneurship, offering implications for both policy and practice.
La diffusione di pratiche organizzative tra pressioni ambientali e processi di legittimazione: un’analisi empirica dei regolamenti universitari in materia di invenzioni
Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, Mar 1, 2012
In this article, we study the determinants of corporate entrepreneurial intention (CEI) within sm... more In this article, we study the determinants of corporate entrepreneurial intention (CEI) within small and newly established firms. Given that in these ventures, entrepreneurial activities usually occur as a result of individuals' behaviors, the CEI of their founders is key to explaining these companies' ability to become engaged in entrepreneurial actions. Building on the theory of planned behavior, we conceptualize how individual characteristics and contextual variables influence CEI. Our theoretical model of the micro-foundation of CEI is tested on a sample of 200 entrepreneurs, founders of 133 new technology-based firms. Results show that CEI is influenced by situationally specific motivation, individual skills, and perceived environmental dynamism. Managerial implications are discussed.
Social Science Research Network, Dec 2, 2010
In this paper, we analyze the extent to which University-Level Support Mechanisms (ULSMs) and Loc... more In this paper, we analyze the extent to which University-Level Support Mechanisms (ULSMs) and Local-Context Support Mechanisms (LCSMs) complement or substitute for each other in fostering the creation of academic spin-offs. Using a sample of 404 companies spun off from the 64 Italian Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics universities (STEM universities) over the 2000-2007 period, we show that the ULSMs' marginal effect on universities' spin-off productivity may be positive or negative depending on the contribution offered by different LCSMs. Specifically, in any given region, ULSMs complement the legislative support offered to high-tech entrepreneurship whereas they have a substitution effect with regard to the amount of regional social capital, regional financial development, the presence of a regional business incubator, regional public R&D expenses as well as the level of innovative performance in the region. Results support the idea that regional settings' idiosyncrasies should be considered for universities to develop effective spin-off support policies. This paper contributes to the debate on the evaluation of economic policies supporting entrepreneurship.
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Papers by Maurizio Sobrero