Measuring knowledge spillovers transfer from scholars in business schools : validation of a multiple-item scale

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a 12-item scale of knowledge spillovers transfer (KST) from scholars in business schools to practitioners outside academia. Design/methodology/approach: A sample of 807 faculty members from 35 Canadian business schools was used for the psychometric evaluation of the questionnaire. The reliability of the scale was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha. The construct validity was examined through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The nomological validity was assessed by analyzing the prediction of two output indicators by means of KST using structural equation modeling and by testing differences in KST according to other related variables. Findings: The psychometric properties obtained indicate that the instrument is reliable and valid, which invites to its use as a diagnostic tool of KST from scholars in business schools to users outside academia. Research limitations/implications: The KST questionnaire developed and validated in this study can be considered as a useful practical tool enabling the assessment of business scholars’ KST activities. Practical implications: The KST questionnaire developed may enlighten business schools’ administrators and policy-makers to identify and implement actions to improve the transfer of knowledge between research and practice. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, despite the wide range of quantitative measures proposed in the literature, this is the first study that aims to present a comprehensive, accurate and validated scale to measure KST from scholars in business schools to practitioners outside academia.