Building entrepreneurial architectures: A conceptual interpretation of the third mission

Abstract

Universities are increasingly being challenged to become more socially and economically relevant institutions under the guise of the so-called 'Third Mission'. This phenomenon, articulated in policy, has prompted the emergence of a growing literature documenting the evolution of the contemporary university, and specifically addressing the Third Mission and university entrepreneurship; however, it remains at once both too broadly conceptualised and overly fragmented. Thus, as the scope of university entrepreneurship widens to include ever more forms of engagement, the Third Mission remains under-theorised. Drawing together these streams of literature on the contemporary university, the concept of 'entrepreneurial architecture' is employed to develop a more nuanced perspective. Based on a study of UK higher education institutions, this article builds on Burns's (2005) notion of 'entrepreneurial architecture' to understand the internal dynamics that underpin the coordination and consolidation of the Third Mission. The Third Mission has been politically created through numerous (prescriptive) funding programmes; however, the next phase of the Third Mission demands an understanding beyond prescription. The concept of entrepreneurial architecture provides a grounded theoretical contribution to the study of university entrepreneurship, while also offering institutions and policy makers a pragmatic approach to institutional development in the context of the Third Mission.