Institutional Factors Affecting Academic Entrepreneurship: The Case of University of Tehran
Main Article Content
Abstract
The role of universities has been highlighted in the social and economic development of communities with the addition of entrepreneurial mission to the educational and research missions of the universities. Thus, the subjects related to the academic entrepreneurship and commercialization of knowledge has recently been taken into consideration by many researchers and politicians in various countries. In Iran, concept of academic entrepreneurship is newly established and is in its initial stages of formation and institutionalization. Considering this gap in the literature, identifying institutional factors which affect academic entrepreneurship in Iran is the main objective of this study. For this purpose, the Institutional Economy theory of North (1990) was used to investigate the formal and informal institutional factors that foster academic entrepreneurship in Iran. In this study a mixed approach was implemented, taking advantage of interviews and a questionnaire to collection the data from the experts involved in academic entrepreneurship activities in University of Tehran. For sampling purposes, the objective judgmental method was used as a non-probability sampling approach. Data collection and analysis continued until theoretical saturation was reached. Then, 41 semi-structured and open interviews were conducted. The quantitative sample size was calculated based on the Cochran’s Formula (60 persons). Findings revealed that main formal institutional factors that affect academic entrepreneurship in Iran include as follows: (i) rules, structure and governance of the university, (ii) entrepreneurship and business training programs, (iii) university-industry relationship, (iv) governmental policies and regulations, (v) intellectual property laws, and (vi) educational and research structure of the university while principle informal institutional factors include: (i) method of enforcing rules, (ii) political considerations, (ii) role models and academic reward system, and (iii) academicians' attitudes toward entrepreneurship.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Once the manuscript is accepted for publication, authors shall transfer the copyright to the publisher. If the submitted manuscript is not accepted for printing by the journal, the authors shall retain all their rights. The following rights on the manuscript are transferred to the publisher, including any supplementary materials and any parts, extracts or elements of the manuscript:
- the right to reproduce and distribute the manuscript in printed form, including print-on-demand;
- the right to print prepublications, reprints and special editions of the manuscript;
- the right to translate the manuscript into other languages;
- the right to reproduce the manuscript using photomechanical or similar means including, but not limited to photocopy, and the right to distribute these copies;
- the right to reproduce and distribute the manuscript electronically or optically using and all data carriers or storage media, and especially in machine readable/digitalized form on data carriers such as hard drive, CD-ROM, DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD), Mini Disc, data tapes, and the right to reproduce and distribute the article via these data carriers;
- the right to store the manuscript in databases, including online databases, as well as the right to transmit the manuscript in all technical systems and modes;
- the right to make the manuscript available to the public or to closed user groups on individual demand, for use on monitors or other readers (including e-books), and in printable form for the user, either via the Internet, online service, or via internal or external networks.
References
Charley, A. and Libecap, A. (2003). The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education: An Evaluation of the Berger Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Arizona, 1985-1999 Eller College of Business and Public Administr ation, University of Arizona.
Clark, B. R. (1998) Creating Entrepreneurial Universities (Oxford: Pergamon).
Debackere, K. and Veugelers, R. (2005). The role of academic technology transfer organizations in improving industry science links, Research Policy, 34: 321-342.
Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989) Building Theories Form Case Study Research, Academi of Management Review, 14(4), pp. 535-550.
Etzkowitz , H. and Leydesdorff, L. (2000). The dynamics of innovation: from National systems and "Mode 2" to a Triple Helix of university-industry-government relations, Research policy, 29: 109-123.
Etzkowitz, H. (1998). The norms of entrepreneurial science: cognitive effects of the new university–industry linkages, Research Policy, 27: 823–833.
Etzkowitz, H. (2002). The Rise of the Entrepreneurial University, Science Policy Institute, State University of New York.
Farsi, J.Y. Modarresi, M. and Zarea, H. (2011). Obstacles and Solutions of Commercialization of University Research: Case Study of Small Businesses Development Center of University of Tehran, Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, 1(7): 159-182.
Farsi, J.Y. Imanipour, N. and Salamzadeh, A. (2012). Entrepreneurial University Conceptualization: Case of Developing Countries, Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 4(2) (Forthcoming)
Gassol, H.J. (2007). The effect of university culture and stakeholders’ perceptions on university-business linking activities, Journal of Technology Transfer, 32(5), pp. 489-507.
Göktepe-Hultén, D. (2008). Why and how do scientists commercialize their research? Towards a typology of inventors, Jena Economic Research Papers in Economics 2008-071, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Max-Planck-Institute of Economics, Thueringer Universitaets- und Landesbibliothek.
Fini, R. Grimaldi, R, and Sobrero, M. (2009). Factors fostering academics to start up new ventures: an assessment of Italian founders’ incentives, Journal of Technology Transfer, 34(4): 380-402.
Guerrero, M. Kirby, D. and Urbano, D. (2006). A literature on entrepreneurial universities: an institutional approach, Paper presented at 3rd Conference of Pre-communication to Congresses. Business Economic Department. Autonomous University of Barcelona. Barcelona, June.
Guerrero, M. Urbano, D. (2010). The development of an entrepreneurial university, Journal of Technology Transfer, 37(1): 43-74.
Hamilton, M. T. (2009). Exploring intervention to the regional institution for innovation: technology-based economic development, doctoral thesis, Caranegie Mellon University.
Laperche, B. (2002). The Four Key Factors for Commercialising Research: The Case of a Young University in a Region in Crisis, Higher Education Management and Policy, 14(3): 149-176.
Moray, N. and Clarysse, B. (2005). Institutional change and resource endowment to science-based entrepreneurial firms, Research Policy, 34(7): 1010-1027.
North, D. (1994). Economic Performance Through Time, The American Economic Review, 84(3): 359-368.
North, D. (1990). Institutions, institutional change, and economic performance Cambridge University Press.
Davis, L. and North, D. (1971). Institutional Change and American Economic Growth: A First Step Towards a Theory of Institutional Innovation, The Journal of Economic History, 30(1): 131-149.
Ponomariov, L. B. and Boardman, P. C. (2009). University Researchers Working with Private Companies, Technovation, 29(1): 142-153.
Ranga, M. Debackere, K. and Tunzelmann, N. (2003). Entrepreneurial universities and the dynamics of academic knowledge production: A case study of basic vs. applied research in Belgium, Scientometrics, 58(2): 301-320.
Rothaermel, F.T. Agung, S.D. and Jiang, L. (2007). University entrepreneurship: a taxonomy of the literature, Industrial and Corporate Change, 16(4): 691-791.
Salamzadeh, A. Salamzadeh, Y. and Daraei, M. (2011). Toward a Systematic Framework for an Entrepreneurial University: A Study in Iranian Context with an IPOO Model, Global Business and Management Review: An International Journal, 3(1): 30-37.
Guerrero, M., Urbano, D. and Salamzadeh, A. (2013). Entrepreneurial transformation in the Middle East: Experiences from Tehran Universities. Technics Technologies Education Management. Forthcoming.
Shane, S. (2004). Academic entrepreneurship: University spin offs and wealth creation (Cheltenham, UK/Northampton, MA, USA: Edward Elgar)
Sooreh, L. K. Salamzadeh, A. Safarzadeh, H. and Salamzadeh, Y. (2011). Defining and Measuring Entrepreneurial Universities: A Study in Iranian Context Using Importance-Performance Analysis and TOPSIS Technique, Global Business and Management Research: An International Journal, 3(2): 182-199.
Sporn, B. (2001). Building adaptive universities: Emerging organizational forms based on experiences of European and us universities, Tertiary Education and Management, 7(2): 121-134.
Tanha, D. Salamzadeh, A. Allahian, F. and Salamzadeh, Y. (2011). Commercialization of University Research and Innovations in Iran: Obstacles and Solutions, Journal of Knowledge Management, Economics and Information Technology, 1(7): 126-146.
Urbano, D. Veciana, J.M. and Aponte, M. (2005). University Students’ Attitudes Towards Entrepreneurship: A Two Countries Comparison, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 1(2):. 165-182.
Vecina, J.M. and Urbano, D. (2008). The institutional approach to entrepreneurship research. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 4(4); 365-379.
Vohora, A. Wright, M. and Lockett, A. (2004). Critical junctures in the development of university high-tech spinouts companies, Research Policy, 33(1): 147–175.
Wright, M. Mustar, P. and Colombo, M. (2009). Dynamics of Science-based entrepreneurship, Journal of Technology Transfer, 35(1): 1-15.
Yusof, M. and Jain, K.K. (2007). Categories of university-level entrepreneurship: a literature survey, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 6(1): 81-96.