Exploring the pathway of academic entrepreneurs: The case of Stellenbosch University

Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Exploring the pathway of academic entrepreneurs: The case of Stellenbosch University
 
Creator Louwrens, Lee-Ann Solomon, Goosain Pettersen, Inger B.
 
Subject — academic entrepreneur; academic entrepreneurship; commercialising research; entrepreneurial university; third mission; technology transfer office; triple helix.
Description Background: Universities globally face challenges of becoming entrepreneurial, delivering third mission activities, including the support of academic entrepreneurship. Abundant research exists on academic entrepreneurs in the United Sates (USA) and Europe. Limited research exists on understanding pathways of academic entrepreneurship in South African Universities.Aim: The aim was to critically review the pathway of research commercialisation of academics at a research-intensive university.Setting: This single case study focuses on one research-intensive university; a pioneer in the field of academic entrepreneurship in South Africa.Methods: A qualitative research approach following a single-case study design was selected to investigate a phenomenon within its natural setting, using purposeful sampling and semi-structured interviews. The data were thematically analysed.Results: The nature of research outputs takes a hybrid form, the awareness of the commercialisation of research is ineffectively communicated, supporting mechanisms Technology Transfer Office (TTO) are in place, factors hampering research commercialisation include time constraints and academics’ willingness to partner with the university.Conclusion: Context is bi-modal, meaning the institution is orientated towards basic research, Mode 1, while there is a transition of the research culture towards commercialisation of research, Mode 2, contributing to ineffective communication within the institution. Commercialisation extends the life cycle of research, and the recognition for publication in ranking metrics contributes to tension between commercialisation and publication of research.Contribution: Theoretically, this baseline study provided insights into the pathway of Academic Entrepreneurship in the context of an intensive-research university. Managerially, this article reflects that ineffective communication of transition from Mode 1 to Mode 2 leads to internal tension.
 
Publisher AOSIS Publishing
 
Contributor INTPART Programme Stellenbosch University Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
Date 2023-10-25
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — —
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajesbm.v15i1.680
 
Source The Southern African Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management; Vol 15, No 1 (2023); 13 pages 2071-3185 2522-7343
 
Language eng
 
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The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/680/843 https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/680/844 https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/680/845 https://sajesbm.co.za/index.php/sajesbm/article/view/680/846
 
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Rights Copyright (c) 2023 Lee-Ann Louwrens, Goosain Solomon, Inger B. Pettersen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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