Investigating the Moderating Role of Technology Transfer Office on Academic’s Entrepreneurial Orientation and Research Commercialisation Relationship

Abstract

Objective – The purpose of the present study is to investigate the moderating role of technology transfer office on the relationship between academic’s entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation. Methodology/Technique – Using survey approach, the study tests the formulated hypotheses. Respondents belonging to five Malaysian research universities were selected based on random sampling technique. A sample of 223 questionnaires was found usable for final analysis. Data gathered was subjected to factor analysis for validating the developed instrument. Further, Pearson correlation and regression analysis were conducted to test the hypotheses. Assumptions of regression were satisfied before applying the regression. To test the moderator, hierarchical regression analysis was conducted. Findings – The results highlight that technology transfer office has a significant moderating role on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation. Similarly, when technology transfer office is taken as a moderator between dimensions of the entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation, it is found that there is statistically significant influence on the relationships. Novelty – Technology transfer office has been investigated extensively for its role towards university commercialisation. However, this role has been tested as an independent variable. This is the first study that takes a different perspective on technology transfer office as a moderator. Further, the study not only checks the moderating influence of technology transfer office on the main construct of entrepreneurial orientation but also investigates its influence on each of the five dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation and commercialisation relationship. Type of Paper: Empirical Keywords: Entrepreneurship; Technology Transfer Office; Entrepreneurial Orientation; Commercialisation; Research University; Academic Researcher; Malaysia. JEL Classification: L26, L31.