Abstract
This paper reviews, structures and evaluates the moral issues generated by efforts to commercialize university research by means of university spin-offs. University spin-offs are new ventures founded to exploit university research. First, I review the advantages and disadvantages of commercialization of science as appearing from studies on university spin-off creation. This review suggests that spin-off creation has three substantial advantages: 1) knowledge utilization, 2) economic growth, and 3) learning from the other ‘culture’. Furthermore, three significant disadvantages are identified: 1) the potential change in research directions, 2) the anti-commons effect, and 3) the threat to objectivity. Subsequently, these arguments are evaluated by deontological and teleological ethical theories. These ethical evaluations result in different evaluations of the university spin-off phenomenon. Based on these ethical evaluations a balancing reflective equilibrium is constructed. Commercializing science by means of university spin-offs appears to be ethically desirable under the condition that disadvantages can be mitigated by designing the right organizational structures.
| Original language | English |
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| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the 2010 Academy of Management Annual Meeting, August 6-8, 2010, Montreal. Canada |
| Place of Publication | Montreal |
| Publisher | Academy of Management |
| Pages | 1-34 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
| Event | 2010 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management - Quebec, Canada Duration: 6 Aug 2010 → 10 Aug 2010 |
Conference
| Conference | 2010 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Canada |
| City | Quebec |
| Period | 6/08/10 → 10/08/10 |
