An Investigation of the Role of University Identities on the Subject and Mode of their Research

Abstract

Universities occupy a leading role in knowledge economies through their entrepreneurial activities to develop products and technologies based on cutting-edge research. While there are strong isomorphic pressures across nations to transform their universities on these lines, it is important to contextualize university entrepreneurship to take into account the unique circumstances of emerging nations, namely, a historical emphasis on teaching with less attention to research, and the imperative to go beyond profit motives and western notions of research in order develop products and technologies that are suitable to the needs of local populations of these economies. This paper looks at these twin challenges from the lens of organizational identity. Based on a case study of a leading medical research university in India, the paper examines the role of organizational identity of universities on their research and innovation activities. It concludes that organizational identities of universities in emerging nations might impede them to carry out more developmental and engineering oriented research, without a concomitant emphasis on basic research due to the pressure to fulfil their primary mission of teaching (and health care in the case subject). Implications for future study to understand how universities policies and practices might impact such organizational identities are discussed.