Some aspects regarding the concept "Research for Business"

Sæavescu, Dan Article Some aspects regarding the concept "Research for Business" Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (JIEM) Provided in Cooperation with: The School of Industrial, Aerospace and Audiovisual Engineering of Terrassa (ESEIAAT), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) Suggested Citation: Sæavescu, Dan (2010) : Some aspects regarding the concept "Research for Business", Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management (JIEM), ISSN 2013-0953, OmniaScience, Barcelona, Vol. 3, Iss. 2, pp. 337-352, https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.v3n2.p337-352 This Version is available at: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/188427 Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen: Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden. Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen. Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in EconStor may be saved and copied for your personal and scholarly purposes. You are not to copy documents for public or commercial purposes, to exhibit the documents publicly, to make them publicly available on the internet, or to distribute or otherwise use the documents in public. If the documents have been made available under an Open Content Licence (especially Creative Commons Licences), you may exercise further usage rights as specified in the indicated licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 337 D. Săvescu Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” Dan Săvescu Transilvania University of Braşov (ROMANIA) [email protected] Received February 2010 Accepted October 2010 Abstract: Paper presents some aspects regarding the scientific research in universities or research institutes oriented to fundamental or practical aspects. It is known that a researcher must publish his work, but the problems are: publish as single or multiauthors, in ISI or domestic journals, in international proceedings conference having ISBN, to protect the new information as IP national or international organization. The permanent process of research for business, its compulsory steps, the role of innovation and business incubators, are as supporting elements for SME’s growth. Beside the facilities offered to SMEs, other benefits come from creating a business incubator, such as: developing innovative products, product design, prototyping, technological transfer and nevertheless, registration and exploitation of intellectual property rights, coming from the obtained products of research. In order to be even more practical, we chose an example of a functional business incubator, ITA Pro-Energ, and showed the facilities that it offers to its incubated SMEs, as well as their improvement on market position. Keywords: scientific research, incubator, technological transfer, business, sustainable energy 1 Introduction In academic world teaching professors or other researchers are interested to prepare, present and publish articles, to publish their scientific activity. What is more important for an academic researcher in the way to satisfy and influence the academic needs, research prestige, university needs a.s.o.? doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 338 D. Săvescu The research activities in Universities and in R&D Institutes are oriented in two directions: fundamental and practical research. In this moment when the industrial development is very fast, the problem to resist with products on the market is to be very flexible, to introduce new innovative products, in the way to satisfy the client needs. It is very known that the fundamental research is good, maybe not useful in a moment, but in time, when there are satisfied all the conditions, it can be practical for industry (an idea is valuable when her time is coming; we can resist to an army invasion, but not to an idea who’s time is comingKhataUpanisad). 2 A point of view about international academic research A researcher must published his scientific research in journals, may be as single or multiauthors, ISI journals or domestic, or in international conference proceedings having ISBN, to present to the community their works and to measure their work in academic university. Some questions are important for this subject: 1. Measurement of scientific works can influence the quality of papers? Measurement of scientific productivity is difficult. Measurement of scientific works influences the quality of papers. The measures used are crude. But these measures are now so universally adopted that they determine most things that matter: tenure or unemployment, a postdoctoral grant or none. Usually it is necessary to complete a time sheet points. As a result, teachers/researchers are forced to publish as many papers as possible, about their discoveries and trying to work them into high impact-factor journals. Consequently, scientific behaviour has become distorted and the utility, quality, and objectivity of articles have deteriorated (Adler & Gundersen, 2008; Lawrence, 2008). 2. In which publications to include papers? Many articles would be better appreciated, published more quickly, and perhaps have more impact if they were published in specialized journals. However, because specialized journals tend to have lower citation impact, or are less well known, they are avoided by young researchers trying to build an impressive promotion file (Lawrence, 2008). This is an understandable strategy, but one that ultimately doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 339 D. Săvescu slows the diffusion of ideas into the research literature and stifles academic dialogue. As so often happens with indicators of performance, the quantitative indicator has become the target, but forgotten in the desperation to win the game is publication as a means of communicating research findings for the public benefit. Those who construct ranking systems must not only choose which categories of publications to include, but also decide on how to weight publications based on journal prestige and authorship criteria. 3. About prestige: what is most valuable? Is publication in a field’s top-ranked journal(s) more valuable than publication in a journal of lesser rank (Adler & Gundersen, 2008, MacDonald & Kam, 2007)? Some articles, for example, published in prestige journals like JIBS (A level journal) are more valuable, and therefore, should be more heavily weighted, than articles in other journals. Based on its 2007 ISI journal impact factor, JIBS was ranked as one of the top-7 business journals in 2008. Most current rankings continue to be winner-take-all systems, with authors receiving equal credit for articles published in selected “A-list” journals and receiving no credit for articles published in no listed journals or for books, book chapters, or conference proceedings. As a field, we must ask if such binary metrics (on or off the A-list) enhance or detract from the discipline’s ability to recognize and support research that matters or even to accurately and equitably assess the contributions of individual scholars and institutions (MacDonald & Kam, 2007). 4. About invisibility: researches must be published in new, innovative or specialized journals? Many sub disciplines are underrepresented in the databases used to calculate the most commonly used, and supposedly “objective,” measure of journal “quality”: the ISI journal impact factor (which actually measures influence, not quality). This is particularly true for journals in accounting, management, marketing, strategy, a.s.o. Perhaps more important, new (often highly innovative) journals are systematically excluded from the rankings. The ISI Social Science Citation Index enforces a mandatory 3-year “waiting period” for all new journals (Adler & doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 340 D. Săvescu Gundersen, 2008; MacDonald & Kam, 2007). Once accepted for inclusion, there is a subsequent 3-year “study period.” Thus, at the earliest, a journal can receive its first official impact factor (IF) in the Journals Citation Report 6 years after its inception. Because articles published in new journals remain invisible to most citation indices, they also remain invisible to almost all ranking systems. The journal impact factor (JIF), is the mean number of citations received in a particular year to articles published in a journal in the preceding 2 years (Segalla, 2008). 5. How is more weighting: single versus multiauthored articles? Another decision is whether to assign equal weight to authors of singleversus multiauthored articles. Where as there are advantages to both approaches, bibliometricans agreed that fractional equivalents are more equitable and Figure 1. “Number of papers in universities/total or fractional authors”. Source: Adler & Gundersen, 2008 26.6 25.6 20.7 14.8 21.2 11.9 12.1 11.8 16.8 10.2 50 33 29 29 26 25 24 23 22 66 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Michigan State University University of Leeds Rutgers University Temple University University of Reading Chinese University of Hong Kong Uppsala University Merlbourne Business School University of Miami New York University Institutions Number of papers total fractional doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 341 D. Săvescu appropriate (also in Transilvania University of Braşov). Fractional equivalents are calculated by assigning 1/n, where n is the number of authors, for each article an author has written. Fractional equivalents are now favoured in most, but not all, ranking studies, and an increasing number of universities recognize that promotion-and-tenure decisions are most justifiably based on fractional equivalents rather than simple article counting. Overall, differences in productivity assessments among universities are generally smaller when fractional equivalents are used. Is it good for universities to report a great number of authors, in the same time with the number of articles (Adler & Gundersen, 2008; MacDonald & Kam, 2007). An example is given in Figure1 (Adler & Gundersen, 2008), where a university is in the top ranking using fractional weightings. As we can see 1st-ranked is Michigan State University and 2nd-ranked Leeds University. The reason is evident: Michigan State has the highest average number of authors per article among the top-10 ranked universities. 6. Weighting the first author means recognizing him as leadership? A similar decision is whether to give more weight to the first author of a multiauthored article. Most ranking studies, unfortunately, continue to systematically ignore whether an author of a multiauthored article is listed first. Authors (and their affiliated universities) who are frequently listed last on multiauthored articles therefore could be viewed as prolific, even though they have never provided research leadership. At the individual level, this is particularly serious, including frame-breaking research, depend on individuals assuming leadership. “When we, as academics, plead powerlessness in choosing what we research because of incentive and reward systems, we dehumanize our careers and our lives.” (Segalla, 2008). 3 The role of knowledge and creativity in learning processes Knowledge plays a key role in the process of innovation by SMEs in medium technology sectors, where innovation is based on the capability to informally search for a solution to local problems together with other partners. This process is doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 342 D. Săvescu different from the formal research activities in the high technology sectors. It is well known the “Triple Helix”, in which there is a good relation between research departments, developing department, implementing department, in the creativity process. Using the Figure 2 it can be seen the way and the stages from the market demands to industrial development of the innovative companies. For the very beginning (I) market represents a stimulus in technology development, new technologies are necessary to stay on market, to realised products at the right price, price imposed by the concurrence, and also by the customer’s demands. Knowing the market demands the second stage (II) is about new innovation projects, new aspects concerning product design. After the project stage the process is continuing with innovation adoption, and finally, the industrial development of the innovative SMEs. As we know the Rresearch entities involved in Pinnovative products are depending on G –government policies, and I – industry possibilities, presented in Figure 3. A new concept for research to business is to accept the “Four-leaf clover” (Figure 4), a good relationship between academia, industry, government policy and also using consulting companies (INNOVA, GTZ, PROVENDIS a.s.o.). I Market and technology stimulus Figure 2. “ The fields of innovation”. II Knowledge development and design of innovation projects III Innovation adoption and financing IV Industrial development of innovative firms doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 343 D. Săvescu Figure 3. “Triple helix to product development”. Figure 4. “The Four-leaf Clover Model”. 4 Research in Transilvania University of Braşov In Transilvania University of Braşov research is made by: teaching professors, students in general, students in their last year of licence, doctoral students’ a.s.o. A situation of papers and grants in 2008 and 2009 is presented in table 1. As we can see there is a difference between 2008 and 2009, reporting the number of papers, and also the practical aspect of them. Type of papers/grants Year 2008 Year 2009 National papers 595 632 International papers 1046 1932 ISI papers 120 172 Fundamental papers 321 380 Practical papers 1440 2356 Total papers 1761 2736 Practical grants 133 152 Table 1. “Research in Transilvania University of Braşov”. Source: GESFO, UTBV R P G I TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFER CENTERS CONSULTING COMPANIES ACADEMIA INDUSTRY POLICY doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 344 D. Săvescu As we can see there is a difference between 2008 and 2009, reporting the number of papers, and also the practical aspect of them. The research in technical universities is oriented in two directions: some of them being fundamental studies (e.g. mathematics, physics, material science a.s.o.), and a lot of studies are oriented to a practical applicability, for example to a real product, this one having a strong innovative character. Between researchers and companies are structures oriented and having the market for the technological transfer, as a good example is the technological and business Incubators, the specific activities in these entities, strategies of incubation’s process, selection of incubates, incubation spaces, having a real example, ITA ProEnerg, an institution built under "Transilvania" University of Braşov, having like research applications "Products and Technologies in Sustainable Energy". The real problems are: • How many of practical papers have an industrial application? • How many of papers represent an industrial product? • Are they prepared for the technological transfer? • The authors do they find a company who can produce and sell the new product? • How many new aspects are in the new product? • The new inventive aspects are protected by law? • How did companies and the market receipt the new product? • The new product as prototype was presented in industrial fairs? • The investment in advertising was making by whom? The technological transfer of new/innovative products is the aim and basic activity of the ITA Pro-Energ incubator “Product and Technologies for Sustainable Energy”, developed near Transilvania University. doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 351 D. Săvescu energy, testing – homologations laboratory, material testing and characterizing laboratory, What is not to be forgotten, since is very important for the entire economy, is the opportunity to technological transfer, TO/TR technologies or products. ITA ProEnerg has directed its effort to perform this important operation especially in sustainable energy field, alternative solutions for heat pumps, wind turbines, PV panels, wind energy or micro hydro-power. There are papers in which are presented aspects regarding the academic research, the measurement of research, number of papers published by year, ranking of journals, scientific conferences, single or multiauthor on paper, the academic prestige, the national or international recognition, the value of paper as fundamental or practical research, prepare for technological transfer to the industry, to the market, in the way to satisfy the market needs. In innovation process and implementation in industry are involved many factors, including technical possibilities of SMEs, governmental policy, financial potential, and also using consulting companies. References Adler, N.J., Gundersen, A. (2008). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. Cengage: Mason, OH. Lawrence, P.A. (2008). Lost in publication: How measurement science. Ethics in Science and Environmental Politics, 31, 1–3. MacDonald, S., & Kam, J. (2007). Quality journals and management studies. Journal of Information Science, 33(6), 702–717. doi:10.1177/0165551507077419 Segalla, M. (2008). Publishing in the right place or publishing the right thing. European Journal of International Management, 2(2), 122–127. doi:10.1504/EJIM.2008.017765 Săvescu, D. (2008). Technological and business incubators, a good opportunity in developing the technological regional transfer. The 2nd Conference on Sustainable Energy, Section 4, Braşov, Romania. doi:10.3926/jiem.2010.v3n2.p337-352 JIEM, 2010 – 3(2): 337-352 – Online ISSN: 2013-0953 Print ISSN: 2013-8423 Some aspects regarding the concept “Research for Business” 352 D. Săvescu Săvescu, D. (2009). Technological and Business Incubators, a good opportunity in regional development. Proceedings of 1st International Conference, MOTSP, Sibenik, Croatia, 2009. ©© Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 2010 (www.jiem.org) Article's contents are provided on a Attribution-Non Commercial 3.0 Creative commons license. Readers are allowed to copy, distribute and communicate article's contents, provided the author's and Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management's names are included. It must not be used for commercial purposes. To see the complete license contents, please visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/.