Who is the academic entrepreneur? The role of graduate students in the development of university spinoffs

Christopher S. Hayter (), Roman Lubynsky () and Spiro Maroulis
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Christopher S. Hayter: Arizona State University
Roman Lubynsky: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Spiro Maroulis: Arizona State University

The Journal of Technology Transfer, 2017, vol. 42, issue 6, No 1, 1237-1254

Abstract: Abstract Academic entrepreneurship, the establishment of new companies based on technologies derived from university research, is a well-recognized driver of regional and national economic development. For more than a decade, scholars have conceptualized individual university faculty as the primary agents of academic entrepreneurship. Recent research suggests that graduate students also play a critical role in the establishment and early development of university spinoff companies, but the nature of their involvement through the entrepreneurial process is not yet fully understood. Employing a case study approach, this paper investigates the role of graduate students in early-stage university spinoff companies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We find that graduate students play role similar to that of individual faculty entrepreneurs in university spinoffs, both in terms of making the initial establishment decision and in reconfiguring the organization for marketable technology development. We also find that student entrepreneurs face unique challenges involving conflicts with faculty advisors and other students.

Keywords: Academic entrepreneurship; Student entrepreneurship; University spinoffs; Technology transfer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L26 M13 O31 O32 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10961-016-9470-y

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