| The diffusion of technological innovation delivers benefits to individuals and society, but the speed and success of the innovation depend on collaboration between technology entrepreneurs and business investors, which can be inhibited by their socialization into different, even adverse, professional cultures. Culture is largely a product of incidental learning, primarily by association with cultural "veterans," not through deliberate study or instruction. Learning that can bridge professional cultures is equally due to incidental learning, which can occur as entrepreneurs and investors further mutual interests in the context of economic development centers, a.k.a. business incubators. How do publicly-funded incubators function as environments for incidental learning that bridges professional cultures, thereby facilitating innovation and its societal benefits? The purpose of this study was to describe incidental learning among members of divergent professional cultures linked through economic development centers to create innovative new businesses.; The theoretical framework combined elements of professional culture and informal and incidental learning as well as the concepts of boundary-spanning and resource linkage as they relate to activities and relationships within business incubators.; A case study was conducted at an incubator in the southeastern United States. Sixteen participants, including technology entrepreneurs, professional investors, and the incubator's senior staff, provided 82 critical learning incidents during semi-structured interviews. Content analysis and narrative analysis were used. Findings clustered into two broad areas, mirroring the research questions.; Six categories of learning emerged, including the functional and bridging learning reported by the three professional groups within the incubator environment. (Note: During data analysis, the incubator staff emerged as a distinct professional group.) Functional learning is the acquisition of knowledge instrumental in achieving mastery in one's work performance. Bridging learning is the acquisition of knowledge during and resulting from bridging situations, comprising both the exertion and the result of conscious and unconscious efforts to enhance empathetic understanding of another's meaning.; Implications for theory (1) emphasize the importance of context in incidental learning, drawing attention to design features, (2) offer an alternative to currently-held ideas about professional growth, and (3) suggest a new version of the resource linkage model. Implications for practice include new approaches to program and staff development and physical layout at economic development centers and other entities that might constitute bridge-building learning environments. Further research, including other research paradigms, is recommended at more incubators and in other bridging environments as well as into alternative models of professional development. |
