Abstract
Global economic and political pressures have altered the functions of modern higher education institutions (HEIs) pushing them to contribute to the development of knowledge economy and engage in and adopt the logic of the market in their missions and activities. This has led to emergence of what has been coined as the entrepreneurial mission of HEIs. This study is an exploratory investigation of the entrepreneurial mission of two Omani regional HEIs for which research on this topic is scarce. To explore and understand how this mission is related in this context, I used three theoretical lenses: institutional isomorphism, the entrepreneurial university framework of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and academic capitalism theory. I applied a multi-case study design and a mixed-methods approach with the a priori aim of contributing to the theory by offering a perspective from a developmental context. I also aimed to expand my professional and academic knowledge, as I am an academic and administrative staff member at one of the cases under this investigation, and to offer practical findings that could be beneficial to Omani policy and management at both institutions. The findings reveal that the two cases demonstrated a propensity towards the development of their entrepreneurial mission. Also, their practice is in compliance with the dimensions of the framework, with some differences in the quantity and quality of their entrepreneurial focus and activities. Moreover, the concept of State-Sponsored Entrepreneur was highlighted as a prevalent perspective among the population at the two HEIs investigated in this study. Furthermore, the study presents two templates for each case, based on the dimensions, that could be used for the purposes of evaluation and improvement. Nevertheless, the study showed that these two Omani regional HEIs face some contextual challenges, such as the nature of the Omani HE governance model, bureaucracy, lack of absorptive capacity of the Omani industrial sector, weak interaction among the knowledge players in the Omani knowledge ecology. The contribution of this exploratory study is twofold. First, it is aimed at offering insights to Omani HE policymakers, where research into this topic is scarce. Furthermore, it is timely, as it was conducted in line with the National Vision 2040 goals and aspirations, thus contributing to understanding the challenges on the ground and improvements. Second, this field of study is still developing globally, so it is hoped that the outcome will provide a perspective from a developing GCC country and, consequently, will build and expand the theory.
| Date of Award | 19 Mar 2024 |
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| Original language | English |
| Awarding Institution |
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| Supervisor | Leon P Tikly (Supervisor) & Artemio A Cortez Ochoa (Supervisor) |