IC² Articles

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/2152/14415

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Application Driven Theory: Rigorously Combining Applied and Basic Research Relevant to Accounting and Marketing
(Journal of Accounting & Marketing, 2012-01) Golden, Linda L.; Cooper, William W.; Brockett, Patrick L.
In this editorial, the authors argue that accounting and marketing research can be both practically relevant and theoretically well-grounded, if a paradigm of application driven theory is adopted and rigorously applied. They distinguish between two dichotomies characterizing research, (1) basic vs. non-basic research and (2) applied vs. pure research. They call for an approach to accounting and marketing based in the intersection of applied and basic research which they refer to as "Application Driven Theory."
Articulating Problems and Markets: A Translation Analysis of Entrepreneurs’ Emergent Value Propositions
(SAGE, 2018-07-18) Spinuzzi, Clay; Altounian, David; Pogue, Gregory P.; Zhu, Lily; Cochran, Robert
In this qualitative study, the authors apply Callon’s sociology of translation to examine how new technology entrepreneurs enact material arguments that involve the first two moments of translation—problematization (defining a market problem) and interessement (defining a market and the firm’s relationship to it) - which in turn are represented in a claim, the value proposition. That emergent claim can then be represented and further changed during pitches. If accepted, it can then lead to the second two moments of translation: enrollment and mobilization. Drawing on written materials, observations, and interviews, we trace how these value propositions were iterated along three paths to better problematize and interesse, articulating a problem and market on which a business could plausibly be built. We conclude by discussing implications for understanding value propositions in entrepreneurship and, more broadly, using the sociology of translation to analyze emergent, material, consequential arguments. The study is based on data collected at the Austin Technology Incubator’s Student Entrepreneur Acceleration and Launch program (ATI SEAL) at The University of Texas at Austin.
“The Basis of Aaaalll of Our Program!” The Start-Up Chile Playbook as Metagenre
(IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 2023) Sabaj, Omar; Spinuzzi, Clay; Varas, Germán; Cabezas, Paula; Gerard, Valentin
Background: Following previous professional communication research into entrepreneurship, we examine key genres of a speciﬁc business accelerator, Start-Up Chile (SUP). Through a triangulated study of interviews, texts, and videos, we examine how the Playbook serves as a regulatory metagenre that represents the SUP experience to the participating ﬁrms. We ﬁnd that aspects of the Playbook’s representation are at odds with the other data, divergences that we argue emerge from a broader tension among SUP’s stakeholders and goals. Literature review: We review the professional communication literature on entrepreneurship, literature on startups and accelerators, and on writing, activity, and genre research (WAGR). Speciﬁcally, we examine WAGR research on metagenres and professional identity formation. Research question: How does this successful international accelerator regularize the learning experience of its exceedingly diverse startups? Speciﬁcally, how does SUP regulate the startups’ different experiences, reframing the experience of entrepreneurship and teaching these startups to form their professional identity as entrepreneurs? Research methodology: We structured this research as a qualitative case study of SUP. Data included documents, videos, interviews, and social media. We triangulated these data sources to identify points of convergence (in which different data sources supported the same assertions) and divergence (in which data sources contradicted each other). Results: SUP provides the Playbook and Newsletter as metagenres that regulate complex interactions among other genres and events, guiding ﬁrms into having roughly equivalent experiences as well as maintaining relationships among volunteers such as mentors. But the Playbook also reframes the experience of entrepreneurship so that it can ﬁt into SUP’s program: it reframes the cyclical entrepreneurship process as linear, and it reframes promises of future action as tracking of past actions. In undergoing these experiences, the startups form their professional identity as entrepreneurs. Conclusion: We conclude by discussing implications for accelerators as well as for how professional communication genres and metagenres regulate neophytes’ experiences in training programs more broadly.
Beyond the Digital Economy: A Perspective on Innovation for the Learning Society
(2000) Conceição, Pedro; Gibson, David V.; Heitor, Manuel V.; Sirilli, Giorgio
In view of the current socio-economic context, in which innovation is a key driving force for the sustainable development, which challenges are facing education and research to enhance and nurture innovation and better contribute to help developing and exploiting engineering, science and technology? This broad question has motivated the work behind the present work, which reviews the strongest themes of the 3rd International Conference on Technology Policy and Innovation (ICTPI), which was held in Austin, Texas, in August of 1999.
A Call to the Engineering Community to Address Human Trafficking
(National Academy of Engineering, 2019-09-16) Caulkins, Jonathan P.; Kammer-Kerwick, Matt; Konrad, Renata; Maass, Kayse Lee; Martin, Lauren; Sharkey, Thomas
Human trafficking (HT) is a horrific and seemingly intractable problem that is typically construed as falling beyond the purview of engineers. This paper argues that engineering systems analysis can produce important insights concerning HT operations and ways to reduce its frequency. Three cases of such systems analysis illustrate (a) the limitations of individual- level interventions against sex trafficking, (b) the benefits of applying network analysis and interdiction models to HT supply chains, and (c) options to reduce the use of trafficked labor in the preparation and distribution of fish products. The International Labour Office (ILO 2017) has estimated that there are 25 million victims in forced labor around the world, including 4.8 million in forced sexual exploitation. There are opportunities for engineering to make transformative contributions to the curtailment of human trafficking.
Characteristics of Technology Transfer in Business Ventures: The Case of Daejeon, Korea
(2003) Sung, Tae Kyung; Gibson, David V.; Kang, Byung-Su
This article explores the characteristics of venture business and entrepreneurs in Korea to (1) identify technology transfer activities, (2) analyze the differences between technology transfer in linear and nonlinear venture businesses, and (3) guide more effective venture business policy and strategy. This empirical assessment reveals that entrepreneurs have insightful evaluations about their resources and capacities as well as expectations with regard to functions and features of science parks and incubators. Respondents from "linear model"-based start-ups tend to be older and have higher education, employ more basic research and development (R&D) and have more R&D-oriented careers, and have more varied work experience than "nonlinear"-based start-ups. The functions and features of science parks and incubators were generally not considered a critical influence on start-ups nor on the growth of venture businesses. Accordingly, alternative venture-nurturing strategies are discussed as being key to accelerate venture businesses growth.
Chasing Entrepreneurial Firms
(Industry Studies Association, 2017-05-17) Echeverri-Carroll, Elsie L.; Feldman, Maryann
The search for a reliable dataset of entrepreneurial firms is ongoing. We analyze and assess longitudinal data on startups from two data sources—the National Establishment Time-Series (NETS) database and the Secretary of State (SOS) business registry data. Our primary purpose in this paper is to assess the usefulness and reliability of these two databases in measuring startup activity along a number of dimensions. Using the data to measure software startups, we conclude that data need to be carefully cleaned and adjusted from several biases before they become reliable. We carefully document our methodology and make suggestions for others to increase the utility of these sources. In particular, we find the NETS data enables identification of startup trends in high-tech industries at the regional level and the contribution of startups to local employment. (This version was prepared for the 2017 Industry Studies Association Annual Meetings.)
Co-creation by Commenting: Participatory Ways to Write Quicklook® Reports
(IEEE, 2015-07) Jakobs, Eva-Maria; Spinuzzi, Clay; Digmayer, Claas; Pogue, Gregory P.
The authors examined comments in revisions of 24 Quicklook® reports that were written to provide market feedback to entrepreneurs. Most Quicklook reports underwent a revision cycle, and the number of comments per draft varied considerably. Based on this analysis, commenting was frequently used to provide revision guidance from staff to the assessors who authored the Quicklook reports. The commenting activities focus on the overall objective to deliver strong arguments for an innovation from the market’s perspective. Therefore, the most comments address the Quicklook report’s most important sections: Potential Commercial Markets, Competitors and Benefits, and Potential Benefits. In particular, staff comments addressed co-creation, argumentation, the writing process, and text quality. We conclude by calling for further research into such reports in particular and entrepreneur communication in general.
The Cost of Water vs. the Cost of Energy
(Texas CEO Magazine, 2014-03-29) Barchas, Isaac; Jacobson, Mitch; Webber, Michael E.
The price dynamics of energy and water in Texas might be about to change. Historically, planners have assumed that the price of energy is volatile and trending up, while the price of water is stable and low. However, current trends in technology, demography, and Texas’ natural environment may mean that energy is actually getting more plentiful and less costly, while water may be becoming scarcer and more expensive. These changes would have implications for the trade-offs companies should make in energy vs. water use, in energy- vs. labor-intensive processes, and in the mix of energy sources including fuels, grid energy, cogeneration, and on-site generation.
Creating the Technopolis: High-Technology Development in Austin, Texas
(Journal of Business Venturing, 1989-01) Smilor, Raymond W.; Gibson, David V.; Kozmetsky, George
New institutional alliances, driven by the rapid increase in and diversity of new technologies, are altering the strategy and tactics of economic development. As a result, communities across the world are seeking to create modern technopoleis or city-states that interactively link technology commercialization with public and private sectors to spur economic growth and diversification through high-technology company development. This paper develops the conceptual framework of a technopolis wheel from studying the dynamics of high-technology development and economic growth in Austin, Texas. It describes seven segments within the technopolis: the university, large technology companies, small technology companies, federal government, state government, local government and support groups. (Author's preprint.)
Data Envelopment Analysis and Commercial Bank Performance: A Primer with Applications to Missouri Banks
(Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, 1992-01) Yue, Piyu
This paper describes a particular methodology called Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), that has been used previously to analyze the relative efficiencies of industrial firms, universities, hospitals, military operations, baseball players and, more recently, commercial banks. The use of DEA is demonstrated by evaluating the management of 60 Missouri commercial banks for the period from 1984 to 1990.
Diagnosing communities with the 5Ds: Applying a framework for understanding barriers to communication and collaboration in three small Texas communities
(IEEE International Professional Communication Conference, 2024) Pogue, Gregory P.; Hooker, Tristin; Booth, Andrew; Spinuzzi, Clay
The 5Ds framework—Distance, Diversity, Dilution, Demand, and Disengagement—has been used to better understand barriers to communication and collaboration in regional entrepreneurial ecosystems, including the multi-community regions of Northwest Arkansas and the Aichi Prefecture of Japan, and the country of Panama. Can this framework also be applied to provide insight and guidance to individual communities? In this paper, we attempt to do so. Examining three small towns in Texas, each facing unique social and economic threats, we use the 5Ds to better understand their underlying challenges and how each translates into systemic communication and collaboration issues obstructing community members from working together to solve community problems. After using the framework to diagnose collaboration barriers for each town, we compare these results with each other and with previous community and regional findings. Finally, we explore implications for scaling this approach, especially in professional communication research into communities and improve intra-community communication and planning activities.
Does It Matter Where IT Workers are Located?
(2007) Echeverri-Carroll, Elsie L.; Ayala, Sofia G.; Kshetramade, Mayuresh; Murthy, Priyanka
The predominant view in the literature is that cities affect labor productivity because spatial proximity facilitates the transfer of ideas which make workers more productive. We also anticipate that information technology, or IT (both equipment and labor), by facilitating human communication and speeding up the flow of ideas and data, also contributes to enhancing the productivity of workers within cities. Thus, workers will be more productive in cities with a large endowment of these two factors of production. The objective of this paper is twofold. First, it describes the spatial character- istics of IT workers in the United States. Second, it tests the hypothesis that in cities with a higher endowment of IT workers wages (a proxy for productivity) would be higher after controlling for the characteristics of individual workers and city-specific characteristics that also affect wages. Using data from the 2000 US Census of Population (5% PUMS), we find evidence of a wage premium, especially for college-educated workers, associated with living in a city that has a large concentration of IT workers. On the basis of our findings, we propose to move the discussion on the future of cities from the effect of IT equipment on face-to-face communication to the impact on cities of losing IT workers.
Editing the Pitch: Patterns of Editing Strategies of Written Pitches in a Chilean Accelerator Program
(IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 2020-11) Cabezas, Paula; Spinuzzi, Clay; Sabaj, Omar; Varas, Germán
Abstract—Background: After a six-month training program in the Chilean public accelerator Start-Up Chile, entrepreneurs are asked to update a short pitch they wrote in the submission stage to appear in the program’s online portfolio. Literature review: We reviewed relevant literature related to the pitch as well as research aiming to track changes within pitches. Research questions: 1. Which are the editing strategies used to change their pitch? 2. Do these strategies conform to specific discursive patterns? Research methodology: To answer the research questions, we designed an exploratory qualitative study to describe in depth the editing strategies used by two generations of startups, corresponding to 148 pairs of written pitches. In order to contextualize the results, we conducted two interviews with the program managers and analyzed the accelerator’s official Playbook and Technical and Administrative Requirements. Results: We identified 10 editing strategies. Of those editing strategies, “Deleting technical descriptions” is by far the most common procedure. The identified patterns can be classified into two groups, those simplifying, hedging, and focusing on certain elements of the first pitch, and those adding and specifying information of the first version. Conclusions: We conclude by discussing the strengths of this methodological approach for understanding such edits and for supporting successful edits in accelerator programs, as well as the potential for better understanding entrepreneur coachability.
Empirical Evidence on the Use of Credit Scoring for Predicting Insurance Losses with Psycho-social and Biochemical Explanations
(North American Actuarial Journal, 2016-09) Golden, Linda L.; Brockett, Patrick L.; Ai, Jing; Kellison, J. Bruce
An important development in personal lines of insurance in the United States is the use of credit history data for insurance risk classification to predict losses. This research presents the results of collaboration with industry conducted by a university at the request of its state legislature. The purpose was to see the viability and validity of the use of credit scoring to predict insurance losses given its controversial nature and criticism as redundant of other predictive variables currently used. Working with industry and government, this study analyzed more than 175,000 policyholders’ information for the relationship between credit score and claims. Credit scores were significantly related to incurred losses, evidencing both statistical and practical significance. We investigate whether the revealed relationship between credit score and incurred losses was explainable by overlap with existing underwriting variables or whether the credit score adds new information about losses not contained in existing underwriting variables. The results show that credit scores contain significant information not already incorporated into other traditional rating variables (e.g., age, sex, driving history). We discuss how sensation seeking and self-control theory provide a partial explanation of why credit scoring works (the psycho-social perspective). This article also presents an overview of biological and chemical correlates of risk taking that helps explain why knowing risk-taking behavior in one realm (e.g., risky financial behavior and poor credit history) transits to predicting risk-taking behavior in other realms (e.g., automobile insurance incurred losses). Additional research is needed to advance new nontraditional loss prediction variables from social media consumer information to using information provided by technological advances. The evolving and dynamic nature of the insurance marketplace makes it imperative that professionals continue to evolve predictive variables and for academics to assist with understanding the whys of the relationships through theory development.
The Energy-Water Nexus: An Analysis and Comparison of Various Conjurations Integrating Desalination with Renewable Power
(MDPI, 2015-04) Gold, Gary M.; Webber, Michael E.
This investigation studies desalination powered by wind and solar energy, including a study of a configuration using PVT solar panels. First, a water treatment was developed to estimate the power requirement for brackish groundwater reverse-osmosis (BWRO) desalination. Next, an energy model was designed to (1) size a wind farm based on this power requirement and (2) size a solar farm to preheat water before reverse osmosis treatment. Finally, an integrated model was developed that combines results from the water treatment and energy models. The integrated model optimizes performances of the proposed facility to maximize daily operational profits. Results indicate that integrated facility can reduce grid-purchased electricity costs by 88% during summer months and 89% during winter when compared to a stand-alone desalination plant. Additionally, the model suggests that the integrated configuration can generate $574 during summer and $252 during winter from sales of wind- and solar-generated electricity to supplement revenue from water production. These results indicate that an integrated facility combining desalination, wind power, and solar power can potentially reduce reliance on grid-purchased electricity and advance the use of renewable power.
Gender and Sexual Minority College Students: The Risk and Extent of Victimization and Related Health and Educational Outcomes
(SAGE Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2019-11) Kammer-Kerwick, Matt; Wang, Alexander; McClain, T'Shana; Hoefer, Sharon; Swartout, Kevin; Backes, Bethany; Busch-Armendariz, Noël
A multisite survey conducted at eight campuses of a southwestern university system provides the data for the present study, total N = 17,039 with 1,869 gender and sexual minority (GSM) students. Sexual violence was measured using the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES), and analysis included both the participant’s risk of experiencing sexual violence and the extent (or total count) of sexual violence experienced. This study poses the following research questions: What effects do gender identity and sexual orientation have on the risk and extent of sexual violence among students and, among victims, what is the relationship between gender identity/sexual orientation and mental health (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], depression) and academic environment (disengagement and safety) outcomes for university students? Multilevel, random effect hurdle models captured this sequential victimization dynamic. GSM and cisgender heterosexual (CH) female students are predicted to be 2.6 and 3 times, respectively, as likely to experience sexual violence compared with CH male students. In addition, GSM students experiencing sexual violence are also expected to experience a greater number of sexually violent acts (74% more) over their college career compared with victimized CH male students. The models confirm that the risk of victimization increases over time (13% per year for CH male students), but GSM students are expected to experience an additional (10%) increase in risk of victimization per year compared with CH male students. GSM and CH female students are also predicted to be more likely to have PTSD and experience more severe depression symptoms than CH male students. GSM students are expected to experience significantly higher rates of PTSD, worse depressive symptoms, and greater disengagement than CH female students. The discussion explores how institutions of higher education might recognize the resilience of GSM students and consider the protective potential of social and community support when developing programs or interventions for diverse populations.
Go or No Go: Learning to Persuade in an Early-Stage Student Entrepreneurship Program
(2020-06) Spinuzzi, Clay; Altounian, David; Pogue, Gregory
Abstract—Background: Early-stage accelerator programs teach new entrepreneurs how to identify and exploit venture opportunities. In doing so, they implicitly teach these new entrepreneurs how to develop and iterate claims. But since this function of teaching persuasion has been implicit and generally unsystematic, it is unclear how well it works. Literature review: We review related literature on the venture development process, value propositions, and logic orientation (Goods-Dominant vs. Service-Dominant Logic). Research questions: 1. Does an entrepreneurship training program implicitly teach new entrepreneurs to make and iterate persuasive claims? 2. How effectively does it do so, and how can it improve? Research methodology: We examine one such accelerator program via a qualitative case study. In this case study, we collected interviews, observations, and artifacts, then analyzed them with thematic coding. Results/discussion: All teams had received previous entrepreneurship training and mentoring. However, they differed in their problem and logic orientations as well as their stage in the venture development process. These differences related to the extent to which they iterated value propositions in the program. Conclusions: We conclude with recommendations for improving how accelerator programs can better train new entrepreneurs to communicate and persuade.
A Good Idea is Not Enough: Understanding the Challenges of Entrepreneurship Communication
(International Conference on Competitive Manufacturing, 2016-01) Spinuzzi, Clay; Jakobs, Eva-Maria; Pogue, Gregory P.
This paper addresses a less-investigated issue of innovations: entrepreneurship communication. Business and marketing studies demonstrate that new product development processes do not succeed on good technical invention alone. To succeed, the invention must be appropriately communicated to a market and iterated through dialogue with potential stakeholders. We explore this issue by examining communication-related challenges, abilities and barriers from the perspectives of innovators trying to enter an unfamiliar, foreign market. Specifically, we summarize results of a set of studies conducted in the Gyeonggi Innovation Program (GIP), an entrepreneurship program formed by a partnership between the University of Texas at Austin and Gyeonggi-Do Province in South Korea. Through the GIP, Korean entrepreneurs attempt to expand domestically successful product ideas to the American market. The study results demonstrate that these innovators must deal with a broad range of challenges, particularly (1) developing deeper understanding of market needs, values, and cultural expectations, and (2) producing pitches with the structure, claims and evidence, and engagement strategies expected by American stakeholders. These studies confirm that a deeper understanding of successful new product development (NPD) projects requires not only a culturally authentic NPD process model, but also communication-oriented research. The GIP approach offers insights into good programmatic concept and effective methods for training engineers to become entrepreneurs. Yet we also identify potential improvements for such programs. Finally, we draw implications for studying entrepreneurship communication.
A Guiding Vision for Fluid Learning: The Future of Education and Training
(IC² Institute, The University of Texas at Austin, 2003-04) Jackson, Melinda L.; Woelk, Darrell
Position paper by the Digital Media Collaboratory (DMC) of the IC² Institute at The University of Texas at Austin. The authors envision learning systems as a ubiquitous public utility and propose an architecture to accomplish it. The paper includes a description of DMC research activities in 2003.

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