Academic entrepreneurship Assessing preferences in nascent entrepreneurs

Purpose - The aim of the paper was to investigate entrepreneurship in a university setting and in particular amongst university managers, established academic entrepreneurs and nascent academic entrepreneurs. The purpose was to better understand the enablers and barriers to entrepreneurship taking place. Design/methodology/approach - A qualitative, sense-making methodology was used involving a single case method and a purposeful sampling approach. A three-stage design strategy consisted of: identification of key themes by questioning university policy makers, managers and academic entrepreneurs; development of a questionnaire to profile academic entrepreneurs; and use of the questionnaire to assess preferences amongst nascent academic entrepreneurs Findings - Four types of academic entrepreneur (hero, maverick, broker and prospector) were identified based on different approaches by individual academics to the use/ production of discipline knowledge and the nature of their relationship with the host university. Research limitations/implications - The single case research is perceived as a limitation. Future studies will involve refining the level of analysis in terms of different disciplines and institutions. Practical implications - The results suggest that interventions to promote entrepreneurship within universities ought to consider different strategies in order to take account of preferences amongst nascent entrepreneurs. Originality/value - The paper looks at entrepreneurship in universities from a corporate perspective rather than from an individual perspective. The powerful influence of the university organisational setting is therefore recognised in terms of the creation of enablers and barriers to academic entrepreneurship taking place.