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PurposeTo investigate the role played by corporate entrepreneurs in the strategic renewal of mature manufacturing companies.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach is adopted as a means of identifying links between corporate entrepreneurship and social capital. Data are drawn from a three‐year study which incorporates formal and informal interviews with 15 members of a pseudonymous company management team.FindingsThe study extends understanding of limits between corporate entrepreneurship and social capital in three ways: corporate entrepreneurs (CEs) can exploit "structural holes" for the benefit of the organisation rather than for career advancement; newcomers are more effective than insiders in overcoming the relational inertia caused by lack of external links; the bridging actions of CEs are important for linking internal activities as well as for accessing external knowledge.Originality/valueThe case is used, in combination with earlier contributions to the literature, as a basis for reconceptualizing the process of corporate entrepreneurship.

In this article I examine the changes that occurred in a large domestic appliance factory over a 12 year period. The appointment of a new managing director was the catalyst for many innovations in the plant including the ending of PBR (payment by results) and the use of stopwatches by work study engineers (WSEs). Despite senior managerial efforts to change the organizational culture those employed in the work study department continued to exert considerable influence over factory design and work organization. In the article I present a first-hand account of the way in which individual identity and subjectivity contributed to a distinctive subculture. This masculine culture encouraged conflict with shopfloor workers even after the PBR scheme had been discontinued. Hence, the article focuses on the way in which the subjective experiences of a small group of WSEs influenced the organization of shopfloor work as well as relationships between workers and manager

This paper identifies the factors which determine the human resources reputation of firms involved in R&D. Reputation in this context refers to the extent to which employees regard their organization as a "good" place to work. The sample of 402 respondents was drawn from ten science-based firms. In terms of age, educational qualifications, and years of experience, the sample was representative of scientists employed in the ten organizations. Reputation is regarded as being of importance both conceptually and practically. Organizational reputation has been widely referred to in the literature, but it has not been consistently defined nor its determinants investigated systematically. Innovatory climate and job satisfaction are identified as the main determinants of reputation among R&D scientists.

The research was carried out to identify the links between the
introduction of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) and corporate
strategy. The study took place in an organization which manufactures car
components and is the subsidiary of a major UK company. At the
operational level there was considerable confusion about the objectives
of CIM and consequently it had been poorly utilized. A number of
suggestions were made to ensure more effective use of CIM. However, as a
result of political factors within the organization there was a shift in
emphasis from CIM to strategic sourcing.

Intro -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- List of Figures -- List of Tables -- Chapter 1: Introduction: An Overview of the Research -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 The Study of INNOSPACE -- References -- Chapter 2: Business Incubation -- 2.1 Introduction and Background -- 2.2 Definitions of Business Incubation -- 2.3 Examining Business Incubation -- 2.4 University-Based Incubation (UBI) -- 2.4.1 UBIs and the Management Team -- 2.5 Summary -- References -- Chapter 3: Entrepreneurship, Opportunities and Entrepreneurial Learning -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Defining Entrepreneurship -- 3.2.1 Defining Opportunity Identification -- 3.2.2 Prior Knowledge -- 3.3 Perspectives on Entrepreneurial Learning -- 3.3.1 Entrepreneurial Learning -- 3.3.2 Experiential Learning Theory -- 3.4 Entrepreneurial Learning in the Context of an Incubator -- 3.4.1 Learning in Communities of Practice -- 3.4.2 A Learning Model -- 3.5 Summary -- References -- Chapter 4: Research Methods -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 Researching Entrepreneurship -- 4.3 Research Approach -- 4.3.1 The Case Study Organisation -- 4.4 Interviews with Incubatees and the Management Team -- 4.5 Data Analysis -- 4.6 Summary -- References -- Chapter 5: The INNOSPACE Experience -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Six Individual Pathways -- 5.2.1 Andy´s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Transitional Phase -- 5.2.2 Jane´s Experience: INNOSPACE Separating Work and Home -- 5.2.3 Ian´s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Physical and Social Space -- 5.2.4 Tony´s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Talent Pool -- 5.2.5 Paul´s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Resource Repository -- 5.2.6 Kath´s Experience: INNOSPACE as a Driver of Entrepreneurial Spirit -- 5.3 Analysis: The Incubation Process -- 5.3.1 Pathways Through INNOSPACE -- 5.3.2 Business Support -- 5.3.3 The Social Aspects of Business Incubation -- 5.3.4 Collaboration Between Tenants -- 5.4 Summary.

Abstract
This paper develops a conceptualization of the way in which owner‐managers in SMEs create strategic space. The term is defined as the time, resources, motivation and capabilities needed for owner‐managers to reflect on and review existing practices leading to learning, transformation and higher organizational performance.
The empirical data is based on a longitudinal study of 90 SMEs operating in six broad sectors. The analysis uses two statistical tests to examine links between 20 activities within these SMEs and their performance.
The results identify strong links between two groups of factors and positive performance claims by owner‐managers. Social attributes include work atmosphere, meetings and socializing. Structural attributes include training, knowledge structure, certification, systems and procedures.
Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This book provides a detailed, multi-disciplinary analysis of innovation networks in a variety of organisational settings. All the contributors are employed at Aston Business School, which is one of the UK's foremost institutions in terms of both teaching and research. The book illustrates the way in which innovation networks are formed and sustained in a variety of organisational settings: the public sector, public-private collaboration, national policy level, inter-organisational credit links, as well as the more traditional focus on manufacturing firms. The strength of the network approach is that it encourages detailed analyses of the dyadic links which must be mobilised in the innovation process. At the same time, networks provide a framework for exploring the multiple sources and pluralistic patterns of communication typical of innovatory activity. Therefore, in contrast to much of the innovation network research undertaken in recent years, the focus of this book is as much on notions of "network as method" as on "network as phenomenon"