An empirical study on the factors affecting academic technology entrepreneurship in South Korea

Technology entrepreneurship has been considered by universities and public research institutes as a novel growth engine for economic development within the context of a knowledge-based economy. However, there have been persistent concerns about it being at the paradigm of the “Creative Economy” in Korea where related domestic research is lacking. This study investigates the effects of entrepreneurial environments of domestic institutions as well as the capabilities of individual scientists with entrepreneurial intention who belong to these institutions. We conducted a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis based on the survey data gathered from scientists who belong to domestic universities and public institutions. The results of the analysis are as follows: (1) Entrepreneurial intention constitutes individual scientists´ attitude, behavior control, and norm. (2) Commercial capability of individual scientists positively and significantly affects behavior control, while organizational culture positively and significantly affects attitude, behavior control, and norm at the same time. (3) Technical capability has negative and significant effects on the attitude of scientists. (4) The policy of the organizations through organizational culture indirectly affects the above three factors that constitute the entrepreneurial intention. This study highlights the formation of positive entrepreneurial culture within universities and public research organizations by means of reorganizing promotional policies for technology entrepreneurship and emphasizing its importance.