Bridging the intention-behavior gap in academic entrepreneurship: the impact of training on faculty and graduate student researchers

Abstract

Purpose Universities and government agencies offer academic scientists entrepreneurship training and resources to catalyze their involvement in technology commercialization activity. This study investigates the impact of such training on the entrepreneurial intention and behaviors of graduate students and faculty researchers, focusing on factors that moderate these effects. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through pre-, post- and longitudinal quantitative surveys administered to 3,455 participants in the National Science Foundation I-Corps Teams program in the United States. The analysis involved repeated-measures ANOVA to assess changes in entrepreneurial intention and binary logistic regression to predict entrepreneurial behavior over time. Findings The first set of analyses revealed that the impact of entrepreneurial training on intention was moderated by three key factors: (1) professional role (Ph.D. student or faculty member), (2) prior entrepreneurial experience, and (3) the perceived potential of a specific technology commercialization project. Longitudinal analyses revealed that perceived project potential, followed by prior entrepreneurial experience, were the strongest moderators affecting the strength of the relationship between entrepreneurial intention and actual entrepreneurial behavior. Originality/value At a theoretical level, this study advances our understanding of the intention–behavior gap in academic entrepreneurship by identifying key moderating factors – professional role, prior entrepreneurial experience and project potential – that influence how intentions translate into actions. At an applied level, it explores how immersive programs such as I-Corps influence academic scientist engagement in startup activities at research universities.

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