Entrepreneurial orientation in joint projects during the COVID-19 crisis: a fuzzy-set QCA approach for Brazilian cases

This research explores the combination of innovation practices (based on causation, effectuation and bricolage) used in joint projects between universities and industries that lead to open innovation. The projects studied were carried out during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. We used fuzzy qualitative comparative analysis (Fs-QCA) to examine 13 Brazilian projects. The main results show two combinations of practices that result in open innovation success among universities and industries. Both combinations include a high level of effectuation; this result is expected in a time of crisis such as that caused by COVID-19. When a project involves only industry partners, a combination of effectuation and bricolage is employed. A university's presence on a project means that causation behaviour is a necessary condition. This 'causation' condition in university-industry collaboration projects seems to reinforce the critical barriers to collaboration between universities and industry.