School of Entrepreneurship & Business
PhD Students
Yazid Abubakar Abdullahi
[Thesis: Agglomeration of High-Tech Firms and New Product Development: A Comparative Study of High and Low Agglomeration Regions]
Yazid is currently in his completion year of PhD in Entrepreneurship at the University of Essex studying differences in learning mechanisms that influence new product development in regions with high and low agglomeration. He also holds a masters’ degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Management from University of Bedfordshire (UK), and a BSc Accounting from University of Abuja, Nigeria. He has previous working experience in large organisations such as Total Quality Management Department of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Central Site Management of Sagem in Nigeria.
Doctoral research outline
This study addresses the differences in learning mechanisms that drive new product development of new firms in regions with high and low agglomeration of high tech firms. The study examines the relative weight of two rival forces – knowledge spillovers vs. pecuniary externalities as important drivers of new product development. Knowledge spillovers are flows that occur without any compensation to the original knowledge source - such as local labour recruitment, informal use of personal contacts and organisations, while pecuniary spillovers are transaction based flows from customers, suppliers and formal collaborations. The exploratory analysis based on 12 interviews with entrepreneurs employs an embedded case-study method to increase our understanding of differences in crucial factors that influence new product development between a region with high agglomeration (i.e. Cambridge Silicon Fen) and low agglomeration (i.e. Essex ). Firms are drawn from 3 sectors of ICT – software development, electronic equipment and radio equipment. Findings from the exploratory phase suggest that that while ‘local’ knowledge spillovers are important for new product development of new firms in regions with high agglomeration, pecuniary externalities are more relevant forces influencing new product development of new firms in low agglomeration regions and are not necessarily ‘local’. Several hypotheses emerging will be empirically tested using a survey instrument in the second phase of the study.
Year of Entry
October 2004
Supervisors
Prof Jay Mitra & Dr Jun Li
Sponsorships
University of Essex
Publications/Refereed Conference Paper
- Abubakar, Y (2007) Geography of knowledge and Product Development Networks, PhD thesis, School of Entrepreneurship, University of Essex, Southend-on-sea, UK (In progress)
- Abubakar Y and Mitra J (2007), Developing a culture for entrepreneurship in the East of England: The value of social and human capital, Industry and Higher Education, April 2007
- Mitra J and Abubakar Y (2007), ‘Seeking Legitimacy: New Technology Firm Behaviour in Nascent and Established Environment’. Refereed Conference Paper to be p resented at the 30th Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship Conference – International Entrepreneurship, 7 to 9 November 2007 Glasgow, UK
- Mitra J and Abubakar Y (2007), ‘Learning To Grow: How New, Small, High Technology Firms Acquire Cognitive and Socio-Political Legitimacy In Their Regions’. Refereed Conference Paper p resented at the International Council for Small Business (ICSB), World Conference June 2007 in Turku , Finland
- Abubakar Y and Mitra J (2005), Social Capital and New Firm Formation, Working Paper Presented at the 28 th National Conference held by the Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (ISBE) at Blackpool, UK (with Prof Jay Mitra– University of Essex)