University scientists, engineers, and researchers often engage in commercialisation efforts to transform their research ideas into products and services that can benefit society. These individuals, known as academic entrepreneurs, have played a critical role in developing groundbreaking innovations such as computers, smartphones, the internet, GPS, pacemakers, and artificial intelligence. The process, called technology transfer, typically involves various activities, including patenting, collaborating with external firms, and establishing startups.
Given the critical role of academic entrepreneurship in fostering innovation, universities worldwide are increasingly striving to improve the structure, policies, and system surrounding technology transfer. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the individual scientists, or more specifically, how to encourage them to engage in academic entrepreneurship. Without a deeper understanding of their inner workings, efforts to promote academic entrepreneurship may not be as fruitful as universities hope. Thus, in my research, I aimed to delve into the minds of the scientists.
Am I a Scientist or an Academic Entrepreneur?
Perhaps the most straightforward way to promote academic entrepreneurship is to encourage scientists to continuously consider the issue, which can help them generate groundbreaking ideas for innovation. Indeed, many universities' efforts are often focused on making the issue salient in the scientists' work environment. However, university researchers are primarily hired to conduct research for the public good, rather than to seek personal gain as entrepreneurs, and thus the expectation to be entrepreneurial is a relatively new challenge. As a result, they may feel torn between their identity as researchers and the entrepreneurial expectations placed upon them. This internal conflict can result in ambivalent attitudes as they grapple with whether pursuing academic entrepreneurship aligns with their identity.
How might these identity conflicts influence scientists' pursuit of academic entrepreneurship when they are repeatedly exposed to cues, instances, or work activities designed to nudge them in that direction? My research suggests that those facing identity conflicts are likely to develop heightened ambivalence (i.e., both positive and negative attitudes) toward academic entrepreneurship when it is made salient in their work environment, as the salience forces them to confront the conflicting identities they might otherwise overlook.
Then, what might be the implications of this ambivalence on scientists' pursuit of academic entrepreneurship? Although some argue that ambivalence is inherently unsettling and may deter individuals from pursuing academic entrepreneurship as a defence mechanism, the story can be a bit more complicated – it ultimately depends on how individuals view ambivalence. Some people have a natural aversion to ambivalence and find it unsettling, while others thrive on it, viewing it as an opportunity for creative problem-solving. Those who embrace ambivalence are more inclined to seek constructive solutions to their conflicting attitudes toward academic entrepreneurship. They may look for ways to integrate their research with entrepreneurial endeavours, making them more likely to pursue academic entrepreneurship compared to those who see ambivalence as a disruptive force to avoid.
Key Takeaways
In sum, my research suggests that although universities often strive to promote academic entrepreneurship by embedding it in scientists' work environments, these efforts may backfire if scientists experience identity conflict and lack effective ways to navigate their conflicting attitudes. Therefore, organisations should consider the following in their efforts to promote academic entrepreneurship:
1. Supporting Identity Navigation:
Organisations should help individual scientists navigate and reconcile potential identity conflicts. This could involve targeted training programmes that highlight the complementarity and synergy between their roles as scientists and academic entrepreneurs.
2. Tailored Approaches for Ambivalence:
Organisations' efforts to increase the salience of academic entrepreneurship should be accompanied by support to help scientists embrace their ambivalence. By helping individuals see ambivalence as an opportunity for creative problem-solving (e.g. through training, mentoring), universities can enable them to effectively manage their internal struggles and ultimately pursue both scientific research and entrepreneurship.
