Validation of Entrepreneurial University Model: A Qualitative Study with the Grounded Theory Approach

Background: Response to new expectations of society, government and industry has changed the role of universities. Nowadays, universities are expected to play a more active role in national and regional economic developments. Indeed, the emergence of entrepreneurialuniversitiesisaresponsetothisexpectation,whichhasentailedforminganewfaceforthenewroleof universities. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to validate an entrepreneurial university model with a grounded theory approach. Methods: The population in the qualitative part was the entrepreneurial university experts in universities in the west of Iran, of whom12wereselectedbysnowballsampling. Thestudypopulationinthequantitativepartincluded396,of whom211wereselected as the sample. The confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to validate and test the conceptual model in SPSS, LISREL and PLS software. Results: Results of the qualitative part revealed 201 concepts, 21 categories and 6 main classes placed in form of a paradigmatic modelwithcausalconditions,corecategory,contextconditions,interveningconditions,strategiesandconsequences. Additionally, based on the results of quantitative section, the fitness indices ( χ 2 /df = 2.114, GFI = 0.91, AGFI = 0.89, NFI = 0.97, CFI = 0.98, RFI = 0.97, RMR=0.015,andRMSEA=0.073)showedthatobtainedmodelhasfavorablefitand6mainaspectsandtheirconditionscanexplain the variable entrepreneurial university. Conclusions: Based on the results of the validation, the model and the conditions proposed in the study can evaluate an entrepreneurial university.