Title: The impact of founders' academic experiences on linking with local alma maters for Chinese start-ups

Authors: Wei Wei; Donghong Li; Jay Chok; Delin Yang; Huiyong Shang

Addresses: School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Room 812, Sidong Building, Beijing 100044, China ' School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Weilun Building, Beijing 100084, China ' Keck Graduate Institute, Room 29, Building 535, Claremont, California, CA 91711, USA ' School of Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, Weilun Building, Beijing 100084, China ' China Center for Promotion of SME Development, Fenglan International A Building, Room 1209, Xizhimen North Street, Beijing 100082, China

Abstract: Are firms founded by alumni and former graduate students more likely to form technology transfer relationships with their alma mater than other firms? Given the importance of engagement with academic institutes, the vast amount of research on entrepreneurship and technology transfer has not yet answered this question. Drawing on previous studies on founder's academic background and university-industry linkage, we attempt to answer the question in a Chinese metropolitan context. We found that firms whose founding teams have higher proportion of alumni and lower proportion of highly-educated individuals are more likely to form formal ties with the focal local alma mater. The findings have implications on academic entrepreneurs and university officers.

Keywords: university-industry collaboration; industrial collaboration; universities; technology transfer; entrepreneurship; founding teams; China; Chinese start-ups; alumni.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2013.055166

International Journal of Technology Management, 2013 Vol.62 No.2/3/4, pp.177 - 192

Published online: 10 Sep 2013 *

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