Community Colleges, Smes, and Innovation in Manitoba

Collaborating for Innovation: Community colleges, SMEs, and innovation in Manitoba by Thomas Keith Edmunds A Thesis presented to The University of Guelph In partial fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Ph.D. in Rural Studies Guelph, Ontario, Canada © T. Keith Edmunds, 2015 ABSTRACT COLLABORATING FOR INNOVATION: COMMUNITY COLLEGES, SMES, AND INNOVATION IN MANITOBA Thomas Keith Edmunds University of Guelph, 2015 Advisor: Dr. Al Lauzon The importance of SMEs to the Canadian economy coupled with the significant role of innovation in ensuring the long-term viability of these businesses highlights the value of removing any barriers to innovation that may be experienced. Community colleges may provide a largely untapped resource for SMEs seeking to innovate. Focussing on Manitoba’s college system, this research was conducted utilizing interviews with key informants from three community colleges and surveys distributed widely throughout the province’s business community. A number of impressions were formed from this largely exploratory research project, including: (1) the conceptual model on which this research was largely based may not be ideally suited for all community college situations; (2) colleges and SMEs appear to have different operational definitions of “innovation”; (3) SMEs are largely unaware of the capacities of colleges to provide services regarding innovation; and (4) colleges have often developed bureaucratic roadblocks to the provision of services to SMEs. iii Acknowledgements This project could not have been completed without the support of many people. I gratefully acknowledge the following individuals: My advisor, Al Lauzon, who tolerated both long delays in activity and frantic barrages of emails asking for advice. His patience, insight, and eye for detail were always appreciated. My advisory committee—Fred Pries, Wayne Caldwell, and James Mahone—whose advice shaped my research and allowed me to avoid innumerable pitfalls during both the research itself and the writing of this document. The examination committee, including Bill Hunter, John Fitzgibbon, and Nathan Perkins, for making my defense a challenging and enjoyable event. The management of Assiniboine Community College for affording me the time to engage in this pursuit and my colleagues at the college for their support. My parents, Tom and Margaret Edmunds, for their on-going and unfailing encouragement. Josh and Nick, my boys, who gave me time to work on this research by going without as much time with me as they would have liked. And finally, Joanne, without whom I could not have accomplished anything. iv Table of Contents <a href="#2_0">Abstract .........................................................................................................................................................................ii </a>Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................................................iii <a href="#9_0">List of tables.................................................................................................................................................................</a><a href="#9_0">.</a><a href="#9_0">i</a><a href="#9_0">x </a><a href="#11_0">Preface...........................................................................................................................................................................1 </a><a href="#13_0">CHAPTER 1 .....................................................................................................................................................................3 </a><a href="#13_1">1.0 </a> <a href="#13_2">1.1 </a> <a href="#13_1">Introduction......................................................................................................................................................3 </a> <a href="#13_2">Context.........................................................................................................................................................3 </a><a href="#17_0">Problem Statement ......................................................................................................................................7 </a><a href="#18_0">Research Goal & Objectives .........................................................................................................................8 </a> <a href="#17_0">1.2 </a><a href="#18_0">1.3 </a> <a href="#18_1">1.3.1 Research Goal ...............................................................................................................................................8 </a><a href="#18_2">1.3.2 Research Objectives......................................................................................................................................8 </a><a href="#19_0">1.3.3 Outcomes......................................................................................................................................................9 </a> <a href="#20_0">1.4. Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................10 </a> <a href="#0_0">1.4.1. Conceptual Model .....................................................................................................................................12 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 2 ...................................................................................................................................................................15 </a><a href="#0_2">2.0 Literature Review...................................................................................................................................................15 </a> <a href="#0_3">2.1 Introductio</a><a href="#0_3">n</a><a href="#0_3">.</a><a href="#0_3">......................................................................................................................................................15 </a><a href="#0_1">2.2 The Changing Economy......................................................................................................................................16 </a><a href="#0_4">2.3 SMEs in the Changing Economy.........................................................................................................................21 </a> <a href="#0_1">2.3.1 SMEs in the Canadian Economy..................................................................................................................24 </a> <a href="#0_5">2.4 Innovation..........................................................................................................................................................25 </a><a href="#0_6">2.5 Innovation and SMEs .........................................................................................................................................28 </a> <a href="#0_7">2.5.1 Barriers to Innovatio</a><a href="#0_7">n</a><a href="#0_7">.</a><a href="#0_7">................................................................................................................................34 </a> <a href="#0_8">2.6 Colleges and SME Innovation ............................................................................................................................36 </a> <a href="#0_1">2.6.1 Historical Development of Community Colleges in Canada .......................................................................37 </a><a href="#0_9">2.6.2 Community Colleges’ Activities Regarding Innovation </a><a href="#0_9">...............................................................................39 </a><a href="#0_10">2.6.3 Applied Research ........................................................................................................................................41 </a><a href="#0_11">2.6.4 Human Capital ............................................................................................................................................45 </a> <a href="#0_12">2.7 Government Policy Regarding Innovatio</a><a href="#0_12">n</a><a href="#0_12">.</a><a href="#0_12">........................................................................................................48 </a><a href="#0_13">2.8 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................................................52 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 3 </a><a href="#0_1">...................................................................................................................................................................53 </a><a href="#0_2">3.0 Manitoba’s Community Colleges</a><a href="#0_2">............................................................................................................................53 </a> <a href="#0_14">3.1 History of Colleges in Manitoba </a><a href="#0_14">.........................................................................................................................53 </a><a href="#0_15">3.2 Justification of institutions selected </a><a href="#0_15">...................................................................................................................58 </a>v <a href="#0_16">3.2.1 Red River College </a><a href="#0_16">........................................................................................................................................59 </a><a href="#0_17">3.2.2 Assiniboine Community Colleg</a><a href="#0_17">e</a><a href="#0_17">..................................................................................................................61 </a><a href="#0_18">3.2.3 University College of the Nort</a><a href="#0_18">h</a><a href="#0_18">...................................................................................................................63 </a> <a href="#0_19">3.3 Classification of selected colleges </a><a href="#0_19">......................................................................................................................64 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 4 ...................................................................................................................................................................67 </a><a href="#0_20">4.0 Methodology .........................................................................................................................................................67 </a> <a href="#0_21">4.1 Overview of case stud</a><a href="#0_21">y</a><a href="#0_21">.</a><a href="#0_21">.....................................................................................................................................67 </a><a href="#0_1">4.2 Part 1:</a><a href="#0_1"> </a><a href="#0_1">The Colleges ..........................................................................................................................................68 </a> <a href="#0_22">4.2.1 Sampling Design..........................................................................................................................................68 </a><a href="#0_23">4.2.2 Instrumentation..........................................................................................................................................68 </a><a href="#0_24">4.2.3 Procedures..................................................................................................................................................69 </a> <a href="#0_25">4.3 Part 2:</a><a href="#0_25"> </a><a href="#0_25">The Businesses ......................................................................................................................................70 </a> <a href="#0_26">4.3.1 Participant</a><a href="#0_26">s</a><a href="#0_26">.</a><a href="#0_26">................................................................................................................................................70 </a><a href="#0_27">4.3.2 Survey Development ..................................................................................................................................71 </a><a href="#0_28">4.3.3 Procedures..................................................................................................................................................72 </a> <a href="#0_17">4.4 Limitations and Delimitation</a><a href="#0_17">s</a><a href="#0_17">.</a><a href="#0_17">...........................................................................................................................73 </a> <a href="#0_29">4.4.1 Limitations ..................................................................................................................................................73 </a><a href="#0_30">4.4.2 Delimitations...............................................................................................................................................75 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 5 ...................................................................................................................................................................77 </a><a href="#0_2">5.0 Interview Analysis..................................................................................................................................................77 </a> <a href="#0_3">5.1 Interviewee overview/methods ........................................................................................................................77 </a><a href="#0_1">5.2 Forms of Collaboration ......................................................................................................................................79 </a> <a href="#0_31">5.2.1 Advisory councils ........................................................................................................................................79 </a><a href="#0_32">5.2.2 Education/ training activities involving students........................................................................................80 </a><a href="#0_33">5.2.3 Capstone project</a><a href="#0_33">s</a><a href="#0_33">.</a><a href="#0_33">......................................................................................................................................81 </a><a href="#0_34">5.2.4 Co-ops, placements, and similar engagements ..........................................................................................82 </a><a href="#0_35">5.2.5 Applied research (through a research agreement) ....................................................................................83 </a><a href="#0_1">5.2.6 Faculty projects...........................................................................................................................................85 </a> <a href="#0_29">5.3 Entrepreneurship...............................................................................................................................................85 </a><a href="#0_1">5.4 Networking ........................................................................................................................................................88 </a><a href="#0_36">5.5 Communication .................................................................................................................................................89 </a><a href="#0_37">5.6 Noncompetition.................................................................................................................................................90 </a><a href="#0_1">5.7 Student involvement .........................................................................................................................................92 </a><a href="#0_38">5.8 Benefit</a><a href="#0_38">s</a><a href="#0_38">.</a><a href="#0_38">.............................................................................................................................................................93 </a> <a href="#0_0">5.8.1 Faculty.........................................................................................................................................................93 </a>vi <a href="#0_39">5.8.2 College ........................................................................................................................................................94 </a><a href="#0_40">5.8.3 Community and Societ</a><a href="#0_40">y</a><a href="#0_40">.</a><a href="#0_40">.............................................................................................................................95 </a><a href="#0_1">5.8.4 Students......................................................................................................................................................97 </a><a href="#0_41">5.8.5 Business ......................................................................................................................................................97 </a> <a href="#0_1">5.9 Barriers ............................................................................................................................................................100 </a> <a href="#0_42">5.9.1 Awareness.................................................................................................................................................100 </a><a href="#0_17">5.9.2 Infrastructure............................................................................................................................................102 </a><a href="#0_43">5.9.3 Money.......................................................................................................................................................103 </a><a href="#0_4">5.9.4 Time ..........................................................................................................................................................104 </a><a href="#0_44">5.9.5 Culture ......................................................................................................................................................106 </a><a href="#0_45">5.9.6 Timing .......................................................................................................................................................109 </a><a href="#0_30">5.9.7 SME buy-in................................................................................................................................................110 </a> <a href="#0_46">5.10 Funding ..........................................................................................................................................................111 </a><a href="#0_47">5.11 IP issues .........................................................................................................................................................112 </a><a href="#0_38">5.12 Preferred/desired engagement .....................................................................................................................113 </a><a href="#0_13">5.13 Implications ...................................................................................................................................................115 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 6 .................................................................................................................................................................118 </a><a href="#0_2">6.0 Survey Results......................................................................................................................................................118 </a> <a href="#0_13">6.1 Survey overview...............................................................................................................................................118 </a> <a href="#0_48">6.1.1 Location ....................................................................................................................................................119 </a><a href="#0_49">6.1.2 Industry.....................................................................................................................................................120 </a><a href="#0_1">6.1.3 Number of Employees ..............................................................................................................................122 </a> <a href="#0_10">6.2 Past Engagement .............................................................................................................................................123 </a> <a href="#0_50">6.2.1 Colleges Engaged ......................................................................................................................................129 </a><a href="#0_51">6.2.2 Success of Partnershi</a><a href="#0_51">p</a><a href="#0_51">.</a><a href="#0_51">.............................................................................................................................131 </a> <a href="#0_6">6.3 Unsuccessful Partnership Attempts.................................................................................................................132 </a><a href="#0_52">6.4 Why Partnership Did Not Occur ......................................................................................................................133 </a><a href="#0_53">6.5 Non-partnership ..............................................................................................................................................134 </a> <a href="#0_54">6.5.1 Innovation is not essential to my business ...............................................................................................135 </a><a href="#0_6">6.5.2 Did not know how to partner with a college ............................................................................................136 </a><a href="#0_53">6.5.3 Unaware such services are offered by college</a><a href="#0_53">s</a><a href="#0_53">.</a><a href="#0_53">.......................................................................................137 </a><a href="#0_55">6.5.4 Skills(s) required are not available at the colleges ...................................................................................139 </a><a href="#0_56">6.5.5 Too expensiv</a><a href="#0_56">e</a><a href="#0_56">.</a><a href="#0_56">..........................................................................................................................................140 </a><a href="#0_57">6.5.6 Distance to college is prohibitive..............................................................................................................141 </a><a href="#0_1">6.5.7 Other reasons for not engaging................................................................................................................144 </a>vii <a href="#0_58">6.6 Likelihood of Future Engagement....................................................................................................................146 </a><a href="#0_59">6.7 Focus of Future Partnership ............................................................................................................................150 </a> <a href="#0_60">6.7.1 Acquisition of machinery, equipment or other technology......................................................................151 </a><a href="#0_61">6.7.2 Employee training.....................................................................................................................................154 </a><a href="#0_1">6.7.3 Original research.......................................................................................................................................157 </a><a href="#0_62">6.7.4 Developing product prototype(s) .............................................................................................................159 </a><a href="#0_63">6.7.5 Product testing/analysis ...........................................................................................................................162 </a><a href="#0_1">6.7.6 Adapting technologies to business needs ................................................................................................164 </a><a href="#0_1">6.7.7 Conducting field/clinical trials ..................................................................................................................165 </a><a href="#0_64">6.7.8 Launching new product(s) ........................................................................................................................167 </a><a href="#0_65">6.7.9 Developing spin-off business/launching new business ............................................................................168 </a><a href="#0_66">6.7.10 Business expansio</a><a href="#0_66">n</a><a href="#0_66">.</a><a href="#0_66">................................................................................................................................171 </a><a href="#0_67">6.7.11 Implementation of new policies .............................................................................................................174 </a><a href="#0_8">6.7.12 Other.......................................................................................................................................................175 </a> <a href="#0_68">6.8 Other Engagement...........................................................................................................................................175 </a><a href="#0_1">6.9 “Other” Engagement </a><a href="#0_1">.......................................................................................................................................177 </a><a href="#0_69">6.10 </a><a href="#0_70">6.11 </a> <a href="#0_69">Other Comments......................................................................................................................................178 </a><a href="#0_70">Implication</a><a href="#0_70">s</a><a href="#0_70">.</a><a href="#0_70">.............................................................................................................................................180 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 7 .................................................................................................................................................................183 </a><a href="#0_2">7.0 Analysis of Intersection........................................................................................................................................183 </a> <a href="#0_71">7.1 Key Themes......................................................................................................................................................184 </a> <a href="#0_17">7.1.1 Past Engagement ......................................................................................................................................185 </a><a href="#0_72">7.1.2 Successful Partnerships ............................................................................................................................186 </a><a href="#0_8">7.1.3 Unsuccessful Partnership</a><a href="#0_8">s</a><a href="#0_8">.</a><a href="#0_8">.......................................................................................................................187 </a> <a href="#0_5">7.2 Future Engagement .........................................................................................................................................187 </a> <a href="#0_8">7.2.1 Acquisition ................................................................................................................................................188 </a><a href="#0_73">7.2.2 Employee Training ....................................................................................................................................188 </a><a href="#0_74">7.2.3 Applied researc</a><a href="#0_74">h</a><a href="#0_74">.</a><a href="#0_74">......................................................................................................................................189 </a><a href="#0_1">7.2.4 Developing spin-off/new businesses ........................................................................................................191 </a><a href="#0_75">7.2.5 Business expansio</a><a href="#0_75">n</a><a href="#0_75">.</a><a href="#0_75">..................................................................................................................................191 </a><a href="#0_1">7.2.6 New policies..............................................................................................................................................192 </a><a href="#0_76">7.2.7 Obtaining skilled employees.....................................................................................................................192 </a><a href="#0_77">7.2.8 Marketing .................................................................................................................................................193 </a><a href="#0_4">7.2.9 Focus on student</a><a href="#0_4">s</a><a href="#0_4">.</a><a href="#0_4">....................................................................................................................................193 </a> <a href="#0_54">7.3 Entrepreneurship.............................................................................................................................................194 </a>viii <a href="#0_18">7.4 Noncompetition...............................................................................................................................................196 </a><a href="#0_78">7.5 Barriers ............................................................................................................................................................196 </a> <a href="#0_79">7.5.1 Awareness.................................................................................................................................................196 </a><a href="#0_72">7.5.2 Infrastructure............................................................................................................................................197 </a><a href="#0_17">7.5.3 Money.......................................................................................................................................................197 </a><a href="#0_1">7.5.4 Time ..........................................................................................................................................................198 </a><a href="#0_80">7.5.5 Culture ......................................................................................................................................................198 </a><a href="#0_81">7.5.6 Timing .......................................................................................................................................................199 </a><a href="#0_76">7.5.7 SME buy-in................................................................................................................................................200 </a><a href="#0_1">7.5.8 Distance to college....................................................................................................................................201 </a><a href="#0_82">7.5.9 No need ....................................................................................................................................................201 </a><a href="#0_83">7.5.10 Needed skills not available .....................................................................................................................201 </a> <a href="#0_1">7.6 IP Issues ...........................................................................................................................................................202 </a><a href="#0_84">7.7 Implications .....................................................................................................................................................202 </a> <a href="#0_1">CHAPTER 8 .................................................................................................................................................................206 </a><a href="#0_2">8.0 Conclusion</a><a href="#0_2">s</a><a href="#0_2">.</a><a href="#0_2">.........................................................................................................................................................206 </a> <a href="#0_85">8.1 Model of SME-College Collaborations .............................................................................................................211 </a><a href="#0_82">8.2 Conclusions and recommendations.................................................................................................................213 </a> <a href="#0_10">8.2.1 Conclusion 1:</a><a href="#0_10"> </a><a href="#0_10">Student Involvemen</a><a href="#0_10">t</a><a href="#0_10">.</a><a href="#0_10">........................................................................................................214 </a><a href="#0_45">8.2.2 Conclusion 2:</a><a href="#0_45"> </a><a href="#0_45">Expansion of student involvemen</a><a href="#0_45">t</a><a href="#0_45">.</a><a href="#0_45">...................................................................................215 </a><a href="#0_48">8.2.3 Conclusion 3:</a><a href="#0_48"> </a><a href="#0_48">Contract training ...............................................................................................................216 </a><a href="#0_86">8.2.4 Conclusion 4:</a><a href="#0_86"> </a><a href="#0_86">Barriers to collaboration ...................................................................................................218 </a><a href="#0_53">8.2.5 Conclusion 5:</a><a href="#0_53"> </a><a href="#0_53">Communication .................................................................................................................219 </a><a href="#0_48">8.2.6 Conclusion 6:</a><a href="#0_48"> </a><a href="#0_48">Networkin</a><a href="#0_48">g</a><a href="#0_48">.</a><a href="#0_48">.......................................................................................................................221 </a><a href="#0_87">8.2.7 Conclusion 7:</a><a href="#0_87"> </a><a href="#0_87">Satellite campuses.............................................................................................................222 </a><a href="#0_88">8.2.8 Conclusion 8:</a><a href="#0_88"> </a><a href="#0_88">Local SMEs.........................................................................................................................223 </a><a href="#0_89">8.2.9 Conclusion 9:</a><a href="#0_89"> </a><a href="#0_89">Entrepreneurship ..............................................................................................................224 </a><a href="#0_53">8.2.10 Conclusion 10:</a><a href="#0_53"> </a><a href="#0_53">Noncompetition ............................................................................................................225 </a><a href="#0_90">8.2.11 Conclusion 11:</a><a href="#0_90"> </a><a href="#0_90">Applied research............................................................................................................226 </a><a href="#0_6">8.2.12 Conclusion 12:</a><a href="#0_6"> </a><a href="#0_6">Policies for engagemen</a><a href="#0_6">t</a><a href="#0_6">.</a><a href="#0_6">...............................................................................................227 </a><a href="#0_48">8.2.13 Conclusion 13:</a><a href="#0_48"> </a><a href="#0_48">Post-secondary relationships ........................................................................................228 </a><a href="#0_0">8.2.14 Conclusion 14:</a><a href="#0_0"> </a><a href="#0_0">Intellectual property......................................................................................................229 </a> <a href="#0_91">8.3 Suggested Researc</a><a href="#0_91">h</a><a href="#0_91">.</a><a href="#0_91">........................................................................................................................................230 </a> <a href="#0_1">9.0 References ...........................................................................................................................................................235 </a><a href="#0_1">APPENDICIES..............................................................................................................................................................246 </a>ix

Community Colleges, Smes, and Innovation in Manitoba

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