Creating reluctant academic intrapreneurs? a literature review

This working paper explores the changing roles of university lecturers, who are expected to act as intrapreneurs within their institutions. Through a literature review, this paper highlights the impact of academic capitalism on pedagogy, with lecturers balancing market relevance and academic rigour. It discusses the pressures on lecturers to embrace intrapreneurship, often driven by institutional demands, financial pressures, and performance metrics. These pressures can lead to the emergence of ‘reluctant academic intrapreneurs,’ who adopt entrepreneurial practices out of necessity rather than enthusiasm.

The paper identifies key areas for further research, including the impact of academic capitalism on pedagogy, lecturers' adaptation to intrapreneurial roles, and innovation management within academic institutions. It also acknowledges the limitations of this theoretical review, emphasising the need for empirical validation to support the theories discussed.

Overall, this paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on the evolving role of university lecturers in a higher education landscape driven by market forces, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of academic capitalism and intrapreneurship.