Organizational Excellence and University Intellectual Property Management Offices : Without Competition , Is it Necessary to Pursue Excellence , and if Yes , then How ?

Competition among businesses has perhaps the greatest influence on how businesses operate—in fact, competition is arguably the core incentive for a business organization’s pursuit of excellence, as well as its corresponding practices used to motivate employees. Therefore, it’s peculiar that university intellectual property offices (UIPOs) perform revenue-generating functions found in the competitive world of business (i.e., marketing, licensing, and managing properties), but UIPOs aren’t subject to the competition (and related incentives) of the business world. This combination of attributes can create a quandary for UIPOs: In the absence of competition, what motivates UIPOs to strive for excellence, constructively assess themselves, and look for opportunities to improve? Maybe the absence of competition makes the pursuit of excellence—and all of the difficulties that go with that pursuit—unnecessary? Maybe good enough is good enough in these organizations, and the way things have been done is the way they should stay?