Disciplinary Differences in Entrepreneurial Transformation

Entrepreneurial transformation of universities indicates the emergence of a new institutional model that actively seeks to take advantage of market opportunities. This dissertation aims to contribute to the advancement of the knowledge on the role disciplinary characteristics play in entrepreneurial transformation of higher education institutions. It draws on the argument according to which disciplinary characteristics significantly influence institutional processes and thereby define in what way entrepreneurialism is going to be validated in practice, in structure, and in mission of internal units. Consequently, it maps out the different configurations faculties take to compete on various marketplaces. A case study has been conducted at the University of Novi Sad in Serbia, in order to map out entrepreneurial transformation at four faculties (Faculty of Philosophy, Faculty of Economics, Faculty of Sciences and Technical Sciences Faculty). The results reveal that significant differences exist among faculties’ strategies to exploit market opportunities. Analysing these variations in light of Becher’s (2001) typology implies that hard sciences compete more actively for research grants and are more willing to engage in knowledge transfer activities, while in soft disciplinary fields educational entrepreneurialism predominates. In terms of structural arrangements, applied disciplines tend to have stronger steering mechanisms and somewhat more diverse developmental periphery then do pure disciplines. Based on these differences, the thesis concludes that the level of inequalities may further undermine the efforts of the University of Novi Sad to pull together its faculties under a common roof.