Academics or Entrepreneurs? Entrepreneurial Identity and Invention Disclosure Behavior of University Scientists

We conceptualize the nascent process of becoming an entrepreneur as a role identity transformation and investigate the factors that influence an individual's decision to assume an entrepreneurial identity. We collected more than 70 hours of interview data in addition to a survey of 796 scientists at a premier research university. Our results reveal that perceived social and economic enablers, institutional support and perceived impediments play a significant role in the willingness of scientists to adopt an entrepreneurial role identity and engage in technology commercialization activity, measured by the level of invention disclosure. Interestingly, entrepreneurial intent to start a business did not have a significant main effect on the level of disclosure activity. Our findings provide a deeper understanding of the social psychological dynamics underlying nascent entrepreneurial activity as it relates to the factors enabling or impeding the adoption of role identities. This study also informs the rich dialog in the science policy and academic entrepreneurship literatures