A Model Scholar and Preeminent Contributor to Our Understanding of Strategic Entrepreneurship: Arnold C. Cooper (1933–2012)

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1002/sej.1183
• Published date: 01 December 2014
• Author: Timothy B. Folta
• Date: 01 December 2014

Research Pioneers

A MODEL SCHOLAR AND PREEMINENT

CONTRIBUTOR TO OUR UNDERSTANDING

OF STRATEGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP:

ARNOLD C. COOPER (1933–2012)

TIMOTHY B. FOLTA*

School of Business, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, U.S.A.

University of Strasbourg, Institute for Advanced Study (USIAS), Strasbourg,

France

This paper discusses the scholarly work of Arnold C. Cooper. He was an influential pioneer in

the study of entrepreneurship, strategic management, and technology management, and his

work provided an important foundation for subsequent development in those fields. Many of his

contributions are a result of methodological approaches to gathering data, enabling him to

draw insights from systematic empiricism of phenomena. Many of his most influential works

are discussed and linked to subsequent work, including work emanating from this journal.

Future researchopportunities tied to his work are also elaborated. Copyright © 2014 Strategic

Management Society.

INTRODUCTION

Arnold C. Cooper died on December 6, 2012. He

was an exemplary scholar of entrepreneurship, stra-

tegic management, and technology management.

This article aims to highlight some of his greatest

contributions, trace their influence over time (includ-

ing on work being done today) and speculate on their

implications for future research.

In the interest of full disclosure, I must admit a

rather strong bias toward the man. You see, I am but

one of many to whom Professor Cooper has been a

valuable mentor—first as a doctoral student, then as

a faculty colleague at Purdue, and finally, when regu-

larly visiting me after his retirement. Many consid-

ered him a consummate gentleman, but one not

lacking for substance. With a single question or

comment, he could drive at the heart of a presenter’s

contribution without embarrassing him/her. If only

we could all be so gifted. Despite my strong personal

bias toward this model scholar and man, in this

article I aim to honor him by reviewing his contri-

butions to the field with the same unwavering objec-

tivity (and respect) that gained him credibility and

admiration in the field.

During his career, Cooper and his coauthors made

a number of important scholarly contributions to the

literatures of entrepreneurship, strategic manage-

ment, and the management of technology (see

Table 1). He had a penchant for focusing on impor-

tant and theoretically interesting questions. Many of

the contributions around these questions were tied to

the empirical evidence he uncovered that strengthens

our understanding of substantively important yet

poorly understood phenomena. For example, he

observed that there may be diseconomies of scale

in research and development (R&D); an organiza-

tion’s tendency to spin off new firms is inversely

Keywords: entrepreneurship; high technology entrepreneur-

ship; spinoffs; strategic management; small firm effect; Arnold

Cooper

*Correspondence to: Timothy B. Folta, School of Business,

University of Connecticut, 2100 Hillside Road, Storrs, CT

06269, U.S.A. E-mail: Timothy.folta@business.uconn.edu

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Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal

Strat. Entrepreneurship J., 8: 349–360 (2014)

Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/sej.1183

Copyright © 2014 Strategic Management Society