Patent Applying or Not Applying: What Factors Motivating Students’ Intention to Engage in Patent Activities

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the roles of growth need strength and the perceived benefits of innovation as antecedent predictors of students' intentions to participate in patent activities using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). This study compared three models that predicted business and management students' intentions to perform patent activities. Results from structural equation modelling applied to undergraduate students supported that the effects of growth need strength and the perceived benefits of innovation influenced students' intentions through a TPB model with the antecedents of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The research proposed model was superior to the other models and explained 74% of the variance in behavioral intentions to engage in patent activities. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.