Developing a Reflective–Formative–Formative Scale for Measuring University Entrepreneurial Ecosystem From Students’ Viewpoints

Abstract

University entrepreneurial ecosystem (UEE) provides students and academic staff with the resources and environment where they are supported to take up entrepreneurship. Studies have indicated that student and academic-staff-run entrepreneurship contributes to regional development through university spinoffs and knowledge spillover. However, the complete framework of developing UEE has not been discussed in the literature, and scholars have focused on examining the impact of certain aspects of UEE, such as entrepreneurial education and technology transfer. The measurement scale for the dimensions of UEE is scarce. In this article, we address this gap by conceptualizing the UEE as analogous to the ecology ecosystem and identifying the dimensions of UEE as entrepreneurial skill development, entrepreneurial resources, and entrepreneurial culture. Moreover, we strengthen the UEE framework by finding out the components and subcomponents. Finally, we develop measurement scales for UEE by following a rigorous four-step methodology followed by ensuring the nomological validity of the scale. The article not only contributes to the entrepreneurial ecosystem literature by conceptualizing UEE and developing a way to measure UEE but it also helps managers by suggesting a tool for comparison of performance of various UEEs.