Entrepreneurial Intentions of Research Scientists and Engineers

Abstract

Recognising the importance of the commercialisation of university intellectual property, the entrepreneurial intentions (EI) of research scientists and engineers at universities and science councils in South Africa are investigated. The study of intentions in an academic context has been recognised because of the potential of entrepreneurship to ignite new research knowledge. Following hypothesis testing, the results show that the EI antecedents of attitudes towards behaviour, social norms, and perceived behavioural control need to be treated systematically. By integrating these factors into one cohesive framework, policy makers may better understand the complexity of the antecedents involved in enhancing EI. OPSOMMING Om erkenning te gee vir die belangrikheid van die kommersialisering van intellektuele eiendom binne ʼn universiteit word die entrepreneur-intensies van navorsers (wetenskaplikes en ingenieurs) by universiteite en wetenskaprade in Suid-Afrika ondersoek. Die studie van dié intensies in ʼn akademiese konteks is van belang as gevolg van die potensiaal van entrepreneurskap om nuwe navorsingskennis aan te hits. Na hipotesetoetsing toon die resultate dat die voorlopers van entrepreneurintensies, soos gedrag, sosiale norme en waargeneemde gedragsbeheer, sistemies hanteer moet word. Deur hierdie faktore in een samehangende netwerk te integreer mag besluitnemers lei om die kompleksiteit van die voorlopers van entrepreneurintensies beter te verstaan.