Academic Entrepreneurship: An Empirical Research of Invention Commercialisation

Abstract

Empirical studies exploring particular mechanisms that the country’s institutional profile, such as regulatory and normative dimension are internalised into scientists’ cognitive process of commercialising their research results, are rather sparse. This study aims to develop a conceptual framework in which integrated the lens of institutional theory and theory of planned behaviour to empirically test and discover the effects of regulatory and normative supports on scientists’ intention to commercialise an invention. A survey was conducted at institutions and universities using stratified random sampling from 255 scientists during the period of 2 months from May to July 2020. A structural equation modelling was employed to estimate the paths and correlations. Results revealed that although regulatory support was not found to have the direct role in shaping intention to commercialise the invention, it had more influences and significances in the increase of attitude towards entrepreneurship, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control. Also, attitude towards entrepreneurship and perceived behavioural control were found to be full mediators in the linkage between regulatory support and intention to commercialise the invention, but subjective norms were not. Besides, normative support, although it was not related to subjective norms, it had direct influences on attitude toward invention commercialisation, perceived behaviour control, and intention to commercialise the invention. Thus, attitude toward invention commercialisation, perceived behaviour control was figured out to play the partially mediating role in the relationship between normative support and intention to commercialise invention among scientists. This research shows that new institutions that address younger generations and concentrate on enhancing entrepreneurial qualities are crucial to foster commercialisation in emerging economies. Also, by representing outstanding issues, our research encourages further debate and research activities. Implications for Central European audience: Even though the research results are related to academic entrepreneurship in Vietnam, the findings of this study can advocate that to promote academic entrepreneurship in emerging economies, enhancing both regulatory and normative supports are really necessary. In addition to theoretical contributions, this study also has several practical implications for researchers and policymakers in Central Europe.