Contextualizing the Notion of an Entrepreneurial University: A Reflective Framework

Developing academic entrepreneurship within a university entails a complex process of change. As internal and external contextual variables make the entrepreneurial journey of each university unique, finding a common “recipe” seems impossible. Therefore, having a reflective framework that allows each university to consider its entrepreneurial strategy and how it translates into more specific organizational measures may offer a path forward. In this paper, we discuss the content, process, and context of entrepreneurship at universities along the dimensions of anticipation, reflexivity, inclusion, and responsiveness. To inform our discussion, we rely upon the findings from the literature and examples from practice. In doing so we contribute to the debate on academic entrepreneurship across different contexts and provide both practical reflection points and future avenues for advancing research.