| Summary: | Thesis (M.M. (Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, Graduate School of Business Administration, 2015. === Universities and public research organisations have an important role to play in enhancing regional economic development through the commercialisation of research outputs. In South Africa, little is known about the motivations behind scientists’ and engineers’ intentions to transition from academic research to entrepreneurship. Drawing on the theory of planned behaviour, this research explores the entrepreneurial intentions of research scientists and engineers and the personal, social and environmental factors influencing these intentions.
Primary data was collected at a university and a science council through an online survey. The theory of planned behaviour model was found to adequately explain the entrepreneurial intentions of the sampled research scientists and engineers. The three antecedents of entrepreneurial intentions in this model are an individual’s attitude to the entrepreneurial behaviour, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. The attitude to entrepreneurial behaviour was found to be the main predictor of entrepreneurial intentions. The indirect effects of the subjective norms and the perceived behavioural control on entrepreneurial intentions were investigated using structural equation modelling.
The research findings suggest that perceived barriers to, and perceived support structures for, entrepreneurship play a marginal role in influencing research scientists’ and engineers’ intentions to start a new business.
Gender and age are important control variables, as they have an indirect effect on entrepreneurial intention through the three antecedents.
This study is the first of its kind in South Africa where the theory of planned behaviour is used to explain the entrepreneurial intentions of research scientists and engineers. The study advances the knowledge and understanding of academic entrepreneurship in South Africa by accounting for individual attitudes, beliefs and perceptions.
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