Underpinning Strategic Behaviours and Posture of Principal Investigators In Transition/Uncertain Environments

O'Kane, Conor, Cunningham, James, Mangematin, Vincent and O'Reilly, Paul (2015) Underpinning Strategic Behaviours and Posture of Principal Investigators In Transition/Uncertain Environments. Long Range Planning, 48 (3). pp. 200-214. ISSN 0024-6301

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Abstract

Although principal investigators (PIs) are becoming key strategic actors in shaping new scientific trajectories, little is known about how they strategise in an evolving publicly-funded research environment. Drawing on thirty interviews and extensive documentation from Ireland's science, engineering and technology (SET) sector, we take a closer look at the heretofore neglected strategic behaviours underlying the research activities of PIs. Our findings suggest that their strategic behaviours fall into four categories – research designer, research adapter, research supporter, and research pursuer. We find that the mechanisms for selecting research strategies are interwoven with the posture (reactive/proactive) of PIs as well as their degree of conformance. We argue that more proactive PIs utilising non-conformance strategies shape new research trajectories, while conformative and/or more reactive PIs predominantly pursue and deepen existing trajectories. We discuss the wider implications of these findings for policy makers, funding bodies and the practicing PI and strategist.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	X900 Others in Education
Department:	Faculties > Business and Law > Newcastle Business School
Depositing User:	Becky Skoyles
Date Deposited:	15 Nov 2018 15:28
Last Modified:	19 Nov 2019 09:49
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/36717

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