Academic Entrepreneurship in a Resource-Constrained Environment: Diversification and Synergistic Effects

Abstract

This chapter investigates academic entrepreneurship in a resource-­constrained environment. Sequential mixed methods are adopted in three stages, namely, an initial context-specific data-gathering stage, an on-line survey, and in-depth interviews. It is revealed that entrepreneurial activity is a means of becoming resource-rich in a resource-constrained environment. In order to extract value from their environment, academic entrepreneurs adopt diversification strategies, which generate synergies between multiple academic entrepreneurial activities. Diversifying into a greater number of different activities is found to generate more synergistic effects than diversifying into a limited number of similar activities. Nevertheless, there remain synergies between those who adopt different diversification strategies, which highlight the importance of a university having a team of different academic entrepreneurs, who complement each other. Policy implications and future research avenues are considered in conclusion.