From Flatland to Spaceland
The pursuit of insights from modeling startup
research universities growth strategies
Raafat Zaini, WPI
Dmitriy Lyan, MIT
Eric Rebentisch, MIT
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Content
•
•
•
•
•
•
Background
What we wanted to do
What we did
From flatland to spaceland ..
Story unfolded
Feedback
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Strategies
April
for
University 2012
Growth
(HE)
Compare
with other
Research
universities
July
2011
R&D Org.
(Projects
Dynamics
view)
4/2/2013
Nov.
2012
Qualifier
(FBS,
Professional
competence
models)
Dissent
in
Organizations
May
2012
May – Dec
2012
15 April
2013
Project
with
MIT
June
2013
Research
Universities
Strategy
issues
(HE)
Compare
with
other
succ .
univ.
4/5/13
Innovation
sustainability
in R&D
organizations
operational
variables to
create the
issue
reference
mode
23April 2013
My “Search for Research” Story .. So far
Empirical
Case of a
technical
organization
February
2013
International
(HE)
March
2013
US
organization
Background
• Interest in International Startup Research
Universities ISRU as a category of research and
development organizations
• Goal:
– Understand the major elements contributing to the
performance of startup research universities and their
dynamic relationships
– study the alignment of policy decisions with strategy
• Involved in a project to model an international
startup research university strategy
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
“self” alignment
Project
Research
purpose
Strategy modeling
Theory building
outcomes
Specific
Generic
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
International Startup Research Universities
• New
• Research, innovation, and entrepreneurship
focus
• Graduates only student body
• Steep goals:
– 10 in 10
– High economic impact on local economies
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
What we wanted to do ..
• To identify key enabling processes that
determine the abilities of ISRUs to reach their
primary strategic objectives
• To analyze dynamic relationships among key
input and output performance measures
• To enable scenario analysis based on resource
allocation and growth strategy decisions
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
What we did
• Studied strategy and
stakeholder analysis reports
• Constructed a working model
• Explored several scenarios
• Built a nice user interface
• Finding and communicating
useful insights to the client is
a WIP effort
• Something needs to be done
Best-practices in SD modeling
( Martinez-Moyano and Richardson 2013)
Problem identification and
definition
System conceptualization
Model formulation
Model testing and evaluation
Model use, implementation and
dissemination
Design of learning strategy/
infrastructure
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Model Sectors in Flatland
Growth Targets
Quality standards
International Partners
Industrial Partners
Russian Universities
Master Students
PhD Students
PostDocs
Professionals
Alumni/dropouts
Faculty
Visitor Faculty
Research staff
Facilities
Research Facilities
Government Funds
Non-budget Funds
Licensing fees and Royalties
Operating Budget
Budget allocations
Team composition
Submitted, Approved, and
Funded Projects
Projects underdevelopment
Developed project
Commercialized projects
Students Quality
Faculty Quality
Graduates Quality
Publication Quality
Research Team Productivity
Reputation
Word Of Mouth
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Entrepreneurs
Startups
Matured Businesses
Industrial workforce
Brain Drain
Academics
Demand for graduates
Model Sectors in Flatland
Growth Targets
Quality standards
International Partners
Industrial Partners
Russian Universities
Master Students
PhD Students
PostDocs
Professionals
Alumni/dropouts
Faculty
Visitor Faculty
Research staff
Facilities
Research Facilities
Government Funds
Non-budget Funds
Licensing fees and Royalties
Operating Budget
Budget allocations
Students Quality
Faculty Quality
Graduates Quality
Publication Quality
Research Team Productivity
Reputation
Word Of Mouth
Team composition
Submitted, Approved, and
Funded Projects
Projects underdevelopment
Developed project
Commercialized projects
Entrepreneurs
Startups
Matured Businesses
Industrial workforce
Brain Drain
Academics
Demand for graduates
Model sectors in Flatland
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Key Stocks and Flows
Partnerships
Attrition Rate
Growth Rate +
<Annual
Spending>
+
+
Application
Rate
Prospective
Students Acceptance
Rate
R
+
Annual
Revenues
+
Available
Budget
Alumni
Students
Graduation
Rate
+
+
+
Stakeholder
Expectations
Research
Start Rate
Innovative
Research
Programs Development
Rate
+
Innovation
Impact
+
Change in
+ Reputation
+
Facilities
+
Annual
Spending
+
Recruitment
Rate
Construction
Rate
+
Prospective
Faculty
Faculty
+
Turnover
Rate
Hiring
Rate
R
Reputation
Key Feedback Loops Driving Performance
+
-
Quality of
Applicants
Student & Faculty
Quality
+
R
R
Application
Fraction
+
Educaional/Industrial/Innovation
Impact
+
Quality vs. Growth
Compromise
+
Best Attract the
Best
B
Number of New
Students & Faculty
Meeting Growth
Targets
-
Growth Gap
+
+
Application Pool
+
-
R
Growth Targets
Reputation Effect
Partners
+
+
SkolTech Reputation
Spaceland: Building hierarchical models
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
http://blog.iseesystems.com/stories-from-the-field/building-health-care-model-hierarchically/
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Startup Research University Story
Hope
(solid curve)
Financial
Resources
Fear
(dotted curve)
Partnerships
Academics
Performance
10 years
Vision Realization
Inauguration
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Top level: dynamic relationships
between performance, academics
, partnerships, and financial
resources
2nd level
2nd level, ”Academics”:
,”Performance”:
Innovation, impact,
and reputation
dynamics
dynamic relationships between
academic staff, quality, and
facilities
3rd level, “Academic staff”:
students, faculty, and research teams,
and faculty load dynamics
Top level: dynamic relationships between performance,
academics , partnerships, and financial resources
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
2nd level ,“ Performance”: Innovation, impact, and reputation dynamics
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
2nd level,“ Academics”: dynamic relationships between academic staff, quality, and facilities
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
3rd level, “Academic staff”: students, faculty, and
research teams, and faculty load dynamics
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Key issues
• Rapid growth of high quality student and
faculty population
• Tension between the pressure to perform and
attracting and retaining exceptional talent
• Dilemma of needing brand/reputation to
attract talent and needing talent to build
reputation
Moving a head
• Being open to new possibilities was key in moving
a head despite the ambiguity
• Moving from Flatland to Spaceland helped in
sharpening the focus
• Reconstructing and tightening the model
• Validating major modeling assumptions
• Testing the impact of various resource
management scenarios on performance
• Using the model to communicate strategic
challenges and tradeoffs with key stakeholders
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Questions or Comments
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13
Thank you
27th MIT-UAlbany SD Colloquium, 11/1/13