Stakeholder goal achievement in australian business incubators

This paper considers the accuracy of a perception that there is a ‘knowledge gap’ in Australian business incubator research. A review of the extant literature suggests that this ‘gap’ relates to a failure to consider the goals, benefits and costs accruing to, or being borne by Australian business incubator stakeholders, especially those involved in management boards. This analysis reports on the findings of a survey which endeavoured to determine whether members of each of the three Australian incubator stakeholder groups (board members, managers and tenants) are achieving their goals in being involved in business incubation. The research study found that entrepreneurial goals, through involvement in business incubation, may be subject to a process of institutional isomorphism. Further, this study identifies a link between institutional and stakeholder theory in the context of Australian business incubation.