Muitos estudos analisam as características do empreendedor relacionando-as com desempenho (Lumpkin & Dess, 1996), com a descoberta de oportunidades empreendedoras (Shane, 2000), criação de novos empreendimentos (Gartner, 1985), entre outros. Em empresas baseadas em conhecimento a inovação é fundamental para a competitividade, refletido na capacidade de lançar novos produtos. Essa prerrogativa leva incubadoras a buscarem em seus processos de seleção empresas que apresentem potencial inovativo, analisando tanto o plano de negócios e a ideia, quanto as capacidades do time de gestão ou do empreendedor proponente da ideia (Aerts, Matthyssens & Vandenbempt, 2007). Assim, o objetivo geral desse estudo foi analisar a contribuição do background do empreendedor para a inovação de produtos em empresas incubadas de base tecnológica do estado de São Paulo. Especificamente, o estudo busca (1) identificar o background dos empreendedores de empresas vinculadas a incubadoras de empresas de base tecnológica; (2) Identificar o nível de inovação de produtos dessas empresas; (3) identificar a relação entre o background do empreendedor e a inovação de produtos nessas empresas; e (4) identificar a interferência do tamanho da organização nessas relações. Para alcançar esses objetivos, o estudo foi conduzido junto a incubadoras de empresas de base tecnológica localizadas no Estado de São Paulo, envolvendo 461 organizações. Um modelo conceitual foi elaborado, incluindo variáveis de input (características do empreendedor - educação e experiência), output (número de produtos lançados no mercado) e moderadora (tamanho da empresa). Um questionário foi aplicado aos gestores das empresas incubadas, resultando em 95 respostas válidas. Uma análise quantitativa foi realizada, baseado principalmente no método estatístico Regressão Logística. Como resultado, foi preliminarmente concluído que o background do empreendedor, particularmente, a formação técnica, tem uma importante associação com a inovação de produtos. Além disso, o tamanho da organização moderou significativamente essa relação, indicando que em empresas maiores parece indicar uma contribuição mais significativa da área de educação técnica - particularmente em disciplinas exatas, para a inovação em produtos. Já em empresas menores, além da associação significativa da educação técnica do empreendedor, a experiência também foi significativa para a inovação de produtos em empresas menores. Indicando que em empresas menores o conhecimento centra-se no empreendedor, enquanto que empresas maiores, o conhecimento é disseminado na equipe. Essas descobertas, a serem confirmadas em estudos futuros e considerando as limitações do presente estudo, complementam a literatura e abre novas perspectivas para instruir incubadoras a selecionarem melhor suas empresas incubadas / Many studies look entrepreneurial characteristics relating them with performance (Lumpkin & Dess, 1996), discovering new entrepreneurial opportunities (Shane, 2000), creation of new enterprises (Gartner, 1985), among others. In knowledge-based enterprises innovation is fundamental to competitiveness, reflected in their capacity of launching new products. This prerogative leads incubators to seek in their selection processes companies that present innovative potential, analyzing both, the business plan and the idea, as well as, the entrepreneurial or management team capabilities (Aerts, Matthyssens & Vandenbempt, 2007). The overall objective of this study was to analyze the contribution of the background of entrepreneurs to the innovative performance in technology-based Businesses Incubated Firms. More specifically, the study tries: (1) to identify the background of entrepreneurs of companies linked to technology based business incubators; (2) Identify the level of product innovation of these firms; (3) Identify the relationships between the background of the entrepreneur and the product innovation of the firms; and (4) Identify the interference of the size of the firms on these relationships. The study was conducted together incubators located in the State of São Paulo, evolving 461 organizations. A conceptual model was conceived, including input (entrepreneurial characteristics - education and experience), output (number of innovative products launched to the market) and moderating (firm size) variables. A questionnaire was applied to the general managers of the incubators, resulting in 95 valid answers. A quantitative analysis was made, based mostly on logistic regression statistical methods. As a result, it was preliminary concluded that entrepreneur background, particularly, the technical education, has an important influence on product innovation level. Also firm size moderated significantly those relationships, indicating that in larger firms it seems to appear a more significance contribution of technical education area - particularly in exact disciplines - to firm innovative performance. In smaller enterprises, in addition to significant association of entrepreneur\'s technical education, the experience was significant to product innovation, that indicate in smaller firms the organizational knowledge focuses on entrepreneur, while in larger companies the organizational knowledge is disseminated among the team. These finds, to be confirmed in future studies and considering the limitations of the present investigation, complement the literature and open new perspectives on the most adequated firms and managers to be selected to take place in Incubators

As mudanças advindas da globalização estão mudando a forma das empresas atuarem. As empresas lançam-se para o mercado externo atendendo a uma série de premissas tais como a busca por recursos, a busca por racionalização na produção, a busca por novos mercados e a aquisição de novas competências. Na literatura, encontram-se diferentes concepções para as formas de entrada nos mercados externos, ao mesmo tempo, em que novas teorias surgem, como a teoria metanacional e a teoria de born global. Esta literatura relata oportunidades às empresas de base tecnológica (EBTs), empresas que podem ser definidas como aquelas que realizam esforços tecnológicos significativos e concentram suas operações na fabricação de novos produtos.. Neste trabalho, a caracterização da internacionalização de empresas de base tecnológica incubadas considerou 3 dimensões: o perfil empreendedor e o empreendedorismo organizacional, o financiamento e mecanismos complementares de apoio e desenvolvimento tecnológico e cooperação. Os dados coletados atingiram o objetivo de caracterizar estas empresas, tendo elas atuação internacional ou não. As proposições P1 de que as empresas de base tecnológica não se preocupam com uma atuação internacional e P4 de que As empresas que possuem financiamento e mecanismos complementares de apoio contam com a internacionalização de suas atividades não foram comprovadas. As proposições P2 de que O empreendedor que possui experiências internacionais, aprendizado e redes de contatos no exterior possui empresas com atividades internacionais e P3 de que As empresas com preocupações quanto ao desenvolvimento tecnológica e cooperação no exterior possuem disposição à internacionalização de suas operações foram comprovadas. / The globalization are changing the way companies act. Companies throw themselves to the foreign market given a series of assumptions such as the search for resources, the quest for rationalization in production, the search for new markets and the acquisition of new skills. In literature, there are different approaches to the ways of entry into foreign markets at the same time, in which new theories arise as the theory metanational and the theory of born global. This literature describes opportunities for technology-based firms (NTBFs). NTBFs can be defined as those that \"carry significant technological efforts and concentrate their operations in the manufacture of new products\". In this work, the characterization of the internationalization of technology-based companies incubated considered three dimensions: the entrepreneurial profile and organizational entrepreneurship, funding, and additional mechanisms to support technological development and cooperation. The collected data to reach the goal of characterizing these companies, being them internationalized or not. The propositions P1 that technology-based companies do not bother with an international performance and P4 that Companies that have complementary mechanisms of funding and support have the internationalization of their activities were not proven. Propositions P2 that The entrepreneur who has international experience, learning and networking with overseas companies have international activities and P3 that Companies with concerns about the technological development and cooperation abroad are available to the internationalization of their operations were proved.

創新及創業被認為是現代社會緩解經濟遲緩、促進經濟增長、引領自主創新的一帖良藥。在中國，以培育科技型中小型企業、促進區域經濟發展的「科技企業孵化器」被視為中國落實「大眾創業，萬眾創新」政策的載體，更被用以促進中國經濟穩定增長的重要舉措之一。本研究試圖透過相關重要文獻及次級數據，輔以極具代表性的深圳及武漢地區之孵化器為案例，再透過財務政策及法律改革等相關數據，系統性地分析科技企業孵化器在中國經濟成長下所扮演的角色，以及中國政府在引領並推進此一創新載體所發揮之作用。研究發現，中國科技企業孵化器可做為促進科技創新與經濟增長之媒介－催化劑，為新創企業匹配早期所需之資源(包含知識移轉、社區實體及關係網絡對接)，直接與間接地促進區域經濟轉型升級，證明了科技企業孵化器有能力促進國家創新能力與經濟可持續增長，並成為推進中國經濟轉型的助力之一。同時，中國政府扮演主導推進孵化體系發展的政策指導者，通過一系列資源及政策支持，指導科技企業孵化器的發展路徑及進程，同時促進了政府職能的轉變。總結本研究結果，科技企業孵化器是中國創新體系的一部分，其與政府之間存在著不可分割的關係。政府對科技企業孵化器的支持參與度越大，科技企業孵化器與政府的相互依賴度就越大。作為中國創新和科技發展政策框架的重要組成部分，科技企業孵化器正推動經濟可持續增長並建立一個技術創業的生態系統，同時重塑政府、市場、社會之間的關係。本研究結果可提供未來相關研究探討科技企業孵化器的可持續發展之創新能力。在中國經濟新常態下，探就可持續性的科技企業孵化器有助於全面了解中國科技與經濟成長之關係，相關研究值得後續進一步分析實證。 / Innovation and entrepreneurship are regarded as an economic tool to promote independent innovation and economic growth in the sluggish economy. In China, the Technology-based Business Incubators (BIs) focusing on promoting technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and regional development are viewed as the innovative carriers under the initiative of “Mass Entrepreneurship and Innovation”. This study attempts to systematically analyze the role of BIs in Chinese economic growth and the role of government play in advancing BIs development through the important literatures and secondary resources, complemented in part with incubation case studies in Wuhan and Shenzhen, and the implementing results of the financial policies and legal reforms. Findings demonstrate that Chinese BIs serves as the catalyst to accelerate S&T development and to provide matching service at technopreneurial functions on the resources of knowledge (high-tech research to patents), communities (high-tech SMEs, universities, and relevant entities), and networks (accessing government, investors, and entrepreneurs), which have promoted regional economic transformation. Meanwhile, the role of Chinese government plays a policy guidance in incubation system, while promoting the transformation of government functions. To conclude this research, BIs are part of the Chinese innovation systems. There is an inseparable relationship between Chinese BIs and the government. The greater the government involvement in BIs support, the greater the interdependence of the BIs and the government. BIs are one of the important factors to facilitate the self-reform of the government, remodeling relations among the government, market and society. In the background of China's “new normal”, the findings of this study provides a future direction to investigate the innovation capability of BIs sustainability. To understand the overall picture of China's rapid growth economic development, the innovation capability of BIs sustainability is worthy of further investigation and discussion.

The focus on entrepreneurs as drivers of the economies of nations has catapulted them into the forefront of the local and international marketplace. This has led to a demand for entrepreneurial education and training resulting in a plethora of different and often divergent views. One commonality that has emerged is that entrepreneurship can be taught; although it cannot be taught in conventional and traditional ways. It requires a move from traditional education and training to more enterprising participative and supportive forms of business development. It requires investments of time, resources and support. Incubators are facilities that are engaged with entrepreneurs and offer a variety of support including education and training. This study has assessed the effectiveness of training offered by the Seda Nelson Mandela Bay ICT incubator. There has been limited research undertaken on entrepreneurial education and training in an incubator setting. This study followed the qualitative paradigm. The sample comprised of 10 small businesses at the Seda Nelson Mandela Bay ICT incubator. Empirical data was obtained by interviewing the owners of the small businesses using an interview schedule. Issues such as the most effective training programme, content that it contained, methodology used and quality of the facilitator and applicability of the training programme were explored. The study found that the small businesses were opportunity driven rather than necessity driven and that the incubator served as a bridging facility in moving the businesses from the informal sector to the formal sector. The content of the training programmes was found to be effective when a mix of both theoretical and practical is offered especially with an emphasis on the underlying entrepreneurial themes of confidence, persistence and uncertainty and so on. It also found that training programmes should be linked to the life cycle of the business and address the specific needs of the small business owner. The start-up phase requires very specific training. Most of the facilitators were found to be experienced and empathetic. However, only a few were using a wider range of preferred learning styles favoured by entrepreneurs such as role playing, simulation, brainstorming and problem-solving techniques. The study also found that when generic training programmes are offered there was less recall on the part of the trainees. The management team of the incubator is an important determinant of the success of the incubatees and it is recommended that they need to be well versed in their sector and have good networking skills. There is a strong link between the theoretical and the practical content of training programmes especially where the emphasis is more on the practical content. It is recommended that facilitators pay attention to their relationship with trainees as it is a critical success factor in the training programme. Training programmes offered over a period of time add more value to the incubatee. This might be because of the mentoring and counselling that is available after each training module is completed. Finally, more research needs to be undertaken on the quality and effectiveness of training programmes offered by incubators to small businesses.

This research investigates the role business incubators on the MSMEs’ access to informal and semi-formal finance. To meet this purpose, firstly, the relationship between business incubation models and models of financial accessibility is assessed. secondly, the contribution of business incubators to the MSMEs informal and semi-formal financial accessibility is determined, by assessing the direct impact of monitoring services on financial accessibility and also assessing the incubator’s financial intermediation role between incubatees and financiers. Due to the important role played by social capital in non-formal financing, the influence of both incubatee and incubator manager’s social capital on incubatee’s informal and semi-formal financial accessibility is also investigated. The results indicate that, business incubator’s monitoring services have significant positive influence on incubatee’s access to informal and semi-formal finance, and also there is a significant positive relationship between monitoring services and financial management capabilities. Also, incubatee’s financial management capabilities have significant positive impact on semi-formal financial accessibility, nevertheless, there is insignificant relationship between incubatee’s financial management capabilities and informal financial accessibility. Furthermore, the results show, incubatee’s bonding and bridging social capital have direct positive impact on both informal and semi-formal financial accessibility, while incubator manager’s linking social capital has positive impact on semi-formal financial accessibility but insignificant impact on informal financial accessibility. Incubatee’s bridging social capital also negatively moderates the relationship between financial management capabilities and semi-formal financial accessibility, whereas incubatee’s bonding has no moderating effect on the same relationship. Incubator manager’s bonding and bridging social capital and incubatee’s linking social capital have insignificant direct impact on both informal and semi-formal financial accessibility, as well as insignificant moderating impact on the relationship between financial management capabilities and semi-formal financial accessibility. These findings show the importance of financial management capabilities on incubatee’s access to semi-formal finance and highlights the role of incubatee’s bonding and bridging network links and incubator manager’s linking social networks to the incubatee’s access to non-formal finance. They also reveal that informal financiers do not consider incubatee’s financial management capabilities as an important criterion in deciding to provide them credits:Acknowledgement i Table of contents iii List of tables viii List of figures xii Abbreviations xv Zusammenfassung xx Summary xxxii CHAPTER ONE 1 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background to the problem 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 4 1.3 Objectives of the study 10 1.3.1 General objective 10 1.3.2 Specific objectives 10 CHAPTER TWO 11 LITERATURE REVIEW 11 2.1 Start-ups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 11 2.1.1 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 11 2.1.1.1 MSMEs’ sector in Tanzania 14 2.1.2 Start-ups 15 2.1.2.1 Startups in Tanzania 16 2.2 Business incubators 18 2.2.1 Services provided by business incubators 21 2.2.2 Business incubators in Tanzania 23 2.3 Financial management capabilities 28 2.3.1 Financial management capabilities in MSMEs 29 2.4 Financial system 32 2.4.1 Formal financing 33 2.4.2 Informal financing 33 2.4.3 Semi-formal financing 34 2.4.4 Financing system in Tanzania 34 2.4.5 Informal and Semi-formal financing system in Tanzania 36 2.4.5.1 Informal financiers 37 2.4.5.2 Semi-formal financiers 45 2.5 MSMEs’ financial accessibility 52 2.5.1 MSMEs’ financial accessibility in Tanzania 55 2.5.2 The role of business incubators in promoting MSMEs’ access to finance 56 2.6 Information asymmetries between MSMEs and financiers 59 2.7 Theory of financial intermediation 61 2.8 Social capital 62 2.8.1 Role of social capital on MSMEs’ access to finance 65 2.9 Summary of the theoretical framework 69 2.10 Proposed model 70 CHAPTER THREE 75 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 75 3.1 Research Design 75 3.2 Study Area 76 3.3 Targeted population 78 3.4 Sample 79 3.5 Operational definitions and measurement of the variables 83 3.5.1 Variable indicators 83 3.5.2 Business incubators' monitoring services 83 3.5.3 Financial management capabilities 84 3.5.4 Incubatee's bonding social capital 84 3.5.5 Incubatee's bridging social capital 85 3.5.6 Incubatee's linking social capital 85 3.5.7 Incubator manager's bonding social capital 86 3.5.8 Incubator manager's bridging social capital 86 3.5.9 Incubator manager's linking social capital 87 3.5.10 MSMEs’ Financial accessibility 87 3.6 Data collection instrument 92 3.6.1 Questionnaire 92 3.6.2 Personal interviews 93 3.7 Data collection 93 3.8 Data Analysis 94 3.8.1 Qualitative data analysis 94 3.8.2 Quantitative analysis 95 3.8.2.1 Data preparation 95 3.8.2.2 Descriptive statistics 96 3.8.2.3 Factor analysis 96 3.8.2.4 Inferential Statistics 104 3.8.2.4.1 Spearman correlations analysis 105 3.8.2.4.2 Kruskal-Wallis test 105 3.8.2.4.3 Partial Least Squares regressions analysis 105 3.9 Validity and Reliability 106 3.9.1 Validity and reliability of qualitative research 106 3.9.2 Validity and reliability in quantitative research 107 CHAPTER FOUR 110 PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS 110 4.1 Introduction 110 4.2 Qualitative results 110 4.2.1 Current status of business incubation programs in Tanzania 110 4.2.2 Factors for business incubators’ successful financial intermediary role118 4.3 Quantitative results 132 4.3.1 Descriptive results 132 4.3.1.1 Sample demography 133 4.3.1.1.1 Relationship between age and incubation period of incubated MSMEs 133 4.3.1.1.2 Categorizing incubated MSMEs by number of employees and business capital 135 4.3.1.1.3 Distribution of incubatees by their nature of ownership and business activity 138 4.3.1.1.4 Financiers’ provision of requested amount of loans to incubatees 140 4.3.1.2 The contribution of business incubators to MSMEs financial accessibility 145 4.3.1.2.1 The Business Incubator's Monitoring services 146 4.3.1.2.2 Financial Management capabilities of incubatees 147 4.3.1.2.3 MSMEs’ financial accessibility 149 4.3.1.3 Relationship between business incubation models and models of MSMEs financing 150 4.3.1.4 Factors for successful intermediary role of an incubator 152 4.3.1.5 Incubatees and incubator managers’ social capital on Incubatees' financial accessibility 155 4.3.2 The impact of business incubation on MSMEs access to informal and semi-formal finance 160 4.3.2.1 Demographic characteristics of incubated enterprises 161 4.3.2.2 Relationship between business incubation models and models of financial accessibility 165 4.3.2.3 Contribution of incubators to the MSMEs informal and semi-formal financial accessibility 166 4.3.2.3.1 Impact of business incubator’s monitoring services on MSMEs’ informal and semi-formal financial accessibility 167 4.3.2.3.2 Business incubators’ financial intermediation role between incubated MSMEs and financiers. 170 4.3.2.4 Impact of incubatee and incubator manager’s social capital on iMFA and sMFA 173 4.3.2.5 Moderating impact of Incubatee's and incubator manager's social capital on the FMC-MFA relationship 179 4.4 Summary of chapter four 183 4.4.1 Developing a model on incubated MSMEs’ access to informal and semi- formal finance. 190 4.4.1.1 A model on incubated MSMEs’ access to informal finance 190 4.4.1.2 A model on incubated MSMEs’ access to semi-formal finance. 191 4.4.1.3 The influence of demographic characters on the relationship between social capital and financial accessibility. 192 CHAPTER FIVE 196 DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS 196 5.1 Introduction 196 5.2 Demographic characteristics of incubatees 196 5.3 Relationship between business incubation models and models of financial accessibility 201 5.4 Business incubators’ financial intermediation role between MSMEs and financiers. 203 5.5 Factors for successful business incubator’s financial intermediary role 207 5.6 Impact of incubatee’s and incubator manager’s social capital on informal and semi-formal financial accessibility 209 5.7 Moderating impact of Incubatee's and incubator manager's social capital on the FMC-MFA relationship 212 CHAPTER SIX 214 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 214 6.1 Conclusions 214 6.2 Recommendations 221 6.3 Scope for further research 229 Reference 234 Appendix I Total Variance Explained 253 Appendix II Component Matrix 254 Appendix III Pattern Matrix 255 Appendix IV Questionnaire 256 Appendix V Questionnaire (Swahili version) 261 Appendix VI Interview guide for the financiers (English version) 266 Appendix VII Interview guide for the financiers (Swahili version) 267 Apendix VIII Interview guide for incubators’ managers and key informants (English version) 268 Appendix IX Interview guide for incubators’ managers and key informants (Swahili version) 269 Appendix X Eigenständigkeitserklärung 270

Thesis (MDF (Development Finance))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

The purpose of this research was to conduct an exploratory study of the information processing utilized by incubator-housed manufacturers during channel member selection. The study included the evaluation of the decision models used by the manufacturers as well as criteria used in the selection process. The study was specifically designed to achieve the following objectives. First, the research was to identify the evaluation modes used by the manufacturers as either compensatory or noncompensatory. Second, the study was to evaluate the effect of the task on the selection of the evaluation model(s) used during the channel member selection process. Third, the study was to evaluate the effect of the selected decision strategy on the amount of information used during the decision process. Finally, the study was to identify and examine the importance of the criteria used by the manufacturers in the selection process. The methodology in this study consisted of primary research using protocol analysis as the main data gathering technique. A ranking instrument was also mailed to the respondents prior to the protocol session. The population for the study was identified as all manufacturers located in publicly-sponsored business incubators. A total of 235 incubators were in existence with approximately 47 percent of them being publicly-sponsored. Approximately 42 percent of the incubators house at least one manufacturing firm. It was estimated that there were approximately 46 manufacturing firms located in public incubators. A sample of six was used in this study. The statistical analysis included frequencies, cross tabulations, correlations, paired comparisons, and measures of association. The findings of this study suggest that the incubator-housed manufacturers' choice of evaluation models was not affected by the task nor did the selected strategy influence the amount of information used by the manufacturers. The findings indicate a need for further research to evaluate the relationships brought forth in this study. Based on the conclusions and findings of this study, recommendations for further research were given.

Cette thèse s’inscrit au croisement de l’entrepreneuriat et du management stratégique. Elle contribue à l’émergence d’un nouveau courant qui s’inspire de l’approche écosystémique et qui vise à mieux comprendre le rôle du contexte sur les dynamiques entrepreneuriales. Son objectif est plus précisément une meilleure compréhension des stratégies des incubateurs dans l'écosystème entrepreneurial. Cette recherche s'intéresse également à la relation entre ces stratégies et la performance des incubateurs. La thèse sur travaux s’articule autour de quatre articles et s’appuie sur une méthodologie mixte séquentielle combinant des méthodes qualitatives et quantitatives. Une étude qualitative a été menée auprès de 48 acteurs de l’écosystème de l’accompagnement entrepreneurial du Sud de la France. Cette recherche a été prolongée par une enquête quantitative conduite au niveau national en récoltant 156 questionnaires auprès de directeurs d’incubateurs. La contribution conceptuelle majeure repose sur une théorisation de l’écosystème entrepreneurial à partir de l’approche multi-niveaux et de la théorie du capital social. De plus, elle offre une vision holistique des stratégies des incubateurs en privilégiant une approche en termes de co-opétition. Enfin, elle permet de tester le lien entre l’écosystème, la stratégie et la performance. Nos résultats montrent des effets positifs de la stratégie de co-opétition sur la performance. La mise en œuvre de cette stratégie apparaît comme l’une des conditions pour construire un écosystème entrepreneurial durable. Des implications et recommandations sont formulées et aboutissent notamment à l’élaboration d’un plan d’action stratégique pour les acteurs de l’écosystème entrepreneurial. / This thesis is at the intersection of entrepreneurship and strategic management. It contributes to the emergence of a new theoretical steam inspired by the ecosystem approach and which aims to better understand the role of the context on the entrepreneurial dynamics. Its objective is more precisely a better understanding of incubator strategies in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This research also addresses the relationship between these strategies and the incubators performance. The thesis by publication is structured around four articles and is based on a mixed sequential methodology combining qualitative and quantitative methods. A qualitative study was carried out among 48 actors in the entrepreneurial support ecosystem in the South of France. This research was extended by a quantitative survey conducted at the national level, collecting 156 questionnaires from incubator managers. The major conceptual contribution carries on a theorization of the entrepreneurial ecosystem based on multilevel approach and social capital theory. In addition, it provides a holistic view of incubator strategies by focusing on a co-opetition approach. Finally, it allows to test the link between the ecosystem, the strategy and the performance. Our results show positive effects of the co-opetition strategy on performance. Implementation of this strategy appears to be one of the conditions for building a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem. Implications and recommendations are formulated, leading in particular to the elaboration of a strategic action plan for the actors of the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-01T19:18:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 118119.pdf: 1385826 bytes, checksum: d061d3f8d78580ba604ecedbedd47c0c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-05-10 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Small businesses have generally been considered a relevant actor of job creation and economic growth. In the current scenario of technological development, the study of technology-based companies are being increasingly approached due to its economic relevance according to the research Convergência Digital 2012 conduct by Brasscom Brazilian Association of Information Technology. This paper seeks to add contributions to understand the evolution of technology-based companies in a business incubator. The initial part of this paper presents a literature review of business life cycle, entrepreneurship and business incubators. Based on two business incubators in Florianópolis, a field research was developed to identify characteristics of the business life cycle in the perception of its entrepreneurs. The results confirm the predominance of the certain characteristics during the incubation period and the need to create a business life cycle model for technology-based companies that participated in an incubation program. / As pequenas empresas têm sido consideradas um importante agente na criação de empregos e no crescimento econômico. No cenário de desenvolvimento tecnológico atual, o estudo de empresas de base tecnológica vem sendo cada vez mais abordado em função de sua relevância econômica conforme ressaltado na pesquisa Convergência Digital 2012 realizada pela Brasscom Associação Brasileira de Empresas de Tecnologia da Informação. O trabalho aqui desenvolvido busca acrescentar uma contribuição para compreensão da evolução das empresas de base tecnológica de uma incubadora de empresas. Na parte inicial deste trabalho, é apresentada uma revisão da literatura sobre ciclo de vidas das organizações, empreendedorismo e incubadoras de empresas. Em seguida, com base em duas incubadoras de Florianópolis foi realizada pesquisa de campo visando identificar características do ciclo de vida das organizações na percepção de seus empreendedores. Os resultados obtidos resultaram na confirmação da predominância de determinadas características no período de incubação e a necessidade de criar um modelo de ciclo de vida das organizações para empresas de base tecnológica que participaram de um programa de incubação.

Esta pesquisa estruturou-se a partir de três relevantes fenômenos da economia contemporânea: empreendedorismo, inovação e relações universidade-empresa, elementos convergentes no ambiente das incubadoras de empresas de base tecnológica. Considerando que a justificativa para a criação deste tipo de incubadora é o fomento ao seu próprio contexto, o problema que norteou a pesquisa questionou a efetividade da Incubadora Tecnológica de Caxias do Sul (ITEC) em seu cenário. A ITEC foi selecionada por sua relação com a Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS), uma de suas entidades mantenedoras, bem como por se tratar de uma iniciativa única na região Nordeste, uma das regiões economicamente mais importantes do estado do Rio Grande do Sul. A metodologia utilizada na pesquisa foi o estudo de caso que, tendo por base a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, valeu-se de entrevistas semiestruturadas como principais fontes de dados. Foram entrevistados, além da gerência da incubadora, representantes de todas as empresas incubadas e de aproximadamente 80% das empresas graduadas em atividade. O estudo procurou delinear o contexto relativo ao empreendedorismo, à inovação e às relações universidade-empresa, no qual se insere a ITEC e paralelamente, procurou-se descrever o desempenho da ITEC na promoção destes elementos. Para tanto, aplicou-se uma perspectiva baseada na ensinagem e na aprendizagem, respectivamente, enquanto condições de desenvolvimento proporcionadas pela incubadora às empresas e às práticas gerenciais adotadas por estas. Os resultados sugerem que, notadamente no passado recente, a incubadora vem se constituindo como importante mecanismo de fomento ao contexto assinalado e paralelamente indica a existência de um amplo potencial a ser explorado, especialmente em termos de inovação e relações universidade-empresa. / Submitted by Marcelo Teixeira (mvteixeira@ucs.br) on 2014-05-20T18:45:54Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Antor Beltrame.pdf: 1735218 bytes, checksum: 478d7b0a200255dc81598883388e666b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T18:45:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Antor Beltrame.pdf: 1735218 bytes, checksum: 478d7b0a200255dc81598883388e666b (MD5) / This research is structured on three relevant phenomena in the contemporary economy, entrepreneurship, innovation and university-industry relationships, converging elements in the environment of technology-based business incubators. Considering that the justify to the creation of this type of incubator is the endorsement to its own context, the problem which guided the research questions was the effectiveness of the Technology Incubator of Caxias do Sul (ITEC) in the promotion of these three factors of economical development. ITEC was selected due to its relationship with the University of Caxias do Sul (UCS), one of its supporting entities, and also due to the fact that it is a unique initiative in the northeastern region of Rio Grande do Sul, one of the economically most important regions of the state. The methodology applied in the research was the case study, based on the bibliographic and documental investigation, making use of semi-structured interviews as main sources of information. Besides the incubator s management staff, representatives of all companies currently incubated, and representatives of approximately 80% of the graduated companies in activity were interviewed. The study sought to delineate the context related to entrepreneurship, innovation and university-industry relationships, which insert ITEC and, at the same time, it sought to describe the performance of ITEC in the promotion of these elements. For this, it was made use of the teaching-learning perspective respectively, while the development conditions offered by the incubator to the companies and the management practices adopted by them. The results suggest that, particularly in the recent past, the incubator has become an important mechanism for the endorsement of the mentioned context, and at the same time, it indicates the existence of a great potential to be explored, mainly in terms of innovation and university-industry relationships.