Enhancing funding opportunities: The role of organized research units in a market-oriented research culture.

摘要

Varied and complex issues face higher education. Among them, federal and state funding levels for education are diminishing as budgets are reallocated towards other priorities. As institutions fight to maintain level funding, administrators seek alternate sources to compensate for changes in funding levels. This study addresses the issue of competitiveness in organized research units (ORUs) in an attempt to identify entrepreneurial traits and levels of market orientation which influence funding sustainability amidst an increasingly competitive research funding market. Applying the models of entrepreneurship and market orientation augments our operational understanding of organizational units within higher education, identifying further how market-driven environments impact those units and, ultimately, impact the entire institution.; Through case study methods, the University of Delaware, a public research institution not traditionally ranked among premier research institutions, served as the research site. It is important to evaluate institutions of this type as they require conscious effort to establish and maintain strong research reputations when competing in a market along side tier I research institutions. Through the empirical phase of the project, data was gathered from those considered to be most mindful of the needs for organizational planning. Utilizing constant comparative analysis, data from a number of sources were analyzed to create the deepest understanding of the phenomenon in this study.; Research findings provide valuable insight into the organizational culture which supports the methods universities use to position themselves to compete nationally for funded research. Study results indicate that entrepreneurial proclivity is widely present and embedded within the institution's market oriented research culture and that structures are in place to encourage such activities. Internal strategic activities influence the identification of opportunities which enable ORUs to compete for funded research. Entrepreneurial traits with a strong market orientation appear to enhance the explanation of sustainability, supporting effective organizations that proactively evaluate their external environment and leading to positive organizational performance. In addition, the findings offer insight into the influence of market-like tendencies on the operational environment of higher education and a greater understanding of the influence of academic capitalism on the evolution of higher education operating in the 21st century.