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Universities are a relevant and little-explored context to the study of strategic action, considering their need to adapt to environmental dynamics and establish a closer relationship with society. This study contributes to shedding light on how the changing process from a traditional university model to a more entrepreneurial model takes place. Thus, this study aims to analyze the role played by the universities' strategic management to the establishment of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) in the academic environment. For this sake, we did a multiple case study focusing on managers' decisions at the strategic level. The selected cases are three universities, two in Brazil and one in Sweden, recognized for their academic entrepreneurship approach in their environments. Based on these cases, the study reveals the influence of top-management decisions for the establishment of EO and how traditional institutions can pursue an entrepreneurial university model. The results emphasize the key role played by the universities' strategic management in establishing EO, through different levels of participation, but with recurrent behaviors in the implementation of the third academic mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is about innovativeness in the context of entrepreneurial orientation. The aim is to present the results of an exploratory and qualitative research that sought to characterize innovativeness in food industries. A conceptual review on entrepreneurial orientation and innovativeness is presented as a base for the study. Data collection was carried out through semi-structured interviews with professionals of nine medium and large food industries from the central region of Rio Grande do Sul state. The analysis concludes with an over-view about innovative behavior, which is evidenced differently in industries surveyed. Innovation in products and services is featured in four industries, while process innovation is a priority in eight of the nine industries. There is constant investment in innovation, for a department of P&D in four industries and active participation of the supplier in innovations of the both industries. There are people dedicated to innovative activities in five industries and people involved in the other part. Creativity is especially important, although lacks systematic procedures for its development. The differentiation is especially in cases where it is possible to have innovative activities of difficult for competitors to duplicate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes research concerning with identifying and explaining similarities and differences in characteristics of entrepreneurs in incubators in Brazil and Portugal. The analytical fundamentals for the comparisons were Hofstede's cultural dimension model and entrepreneurial orientation (Lumpkim & Dess, 1996). The use of these two models relied on the application of a questionnaire to entrepreneurs in these two countries, and the research was therefore based on intensive field work, which was crucial to achieving the desired goals. Results from the research revealed that there were differences in cultural dimensions - power distance and uncertainty avoidance, both higher in Brazil. The entrepreneurial orientation was also higher in Brazil, especially risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness. The Brazilian entrepreneurs were more likely to reject future uncertainties and showed a greater propensity to take risks and expose themselves to uncertainty, as long as they were paid for this exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a study aiming at comparing entrepreneurs-owners of firms in incubators in Brazil and in Portugal. The comparasion between the two countries was due to a common past mirrored, especially the Portuguese influence in brazilian's cultural, reflected in Hofstedès cross cultural study (1980). The entrepreneurial orientation was higher in Brazil, especially in the dimensions risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness. The Brazilian entrepreneurs revealed a higher rejection of future uncertainties, higher propensity to take risks and to expose themselves to uncertainty. This study rise important questions about the drives of entrepreneurship, and a curiosity about this. It suggests future research to study the opportunity and necessity entrepreneurial in two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]