University Ecosystems and the Commitment of Faculty Members to Support Entrepreneurial Activity

Abstract

Research on the concept of entrepreneurial universities has dedicated significant attention to understand how academic ecosystems shape the propensity of its members to establish new ventures. In this article we look at a prior step of the entrepreneurial event, i.e., how universities’ dynamics and initiatives related to entrepreneurship affect the proclivity of faculty to engage in entrepreneurship support. We propose and validate a conceptual model that directly relates the university ecosystem with faculty engagement, having entrepreneurial experience of faculty as a moderator and analyzing differences between public and private institutions. Data comprises information from 680 faculty members of over 70 higher education institutions from all regions of Brazil. Analyses were performed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equations Modeling. Results point to a strong positive relation between developed university ecosystems and the engagement of faculty with entrepreneurial activities, especially for individuals with stronger entrepreneurial experience. No differences were found between private and public institutions. From a practical standpoint, it is possible to identify more effective, innovative, and systematic ways to implement intrapreneurial practices in universities.

Keywords:
universities; academic entrepreneurship; Brazil; entrepreneurial culture