Title: The role of motivations and intentions in life-sciences entrepreneurship: insights from the Italian setting

Authors: Rosanna Spanò; Nadia Di Paola; Roberto Vona; Adele Caldarelli

Addresses: Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy ' Department of Economics, Management, Institutions, University of Naples Federico II, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, 80126 Naples, Italy

Abstract: The aim of this study is to understand how and why intentions and motivations influence life-scientists' entrepreneurial actions. The paper employs a survey conducted among 25 life-science scholars. The data have been processed through a mixed method research approach. The first step relied upon a QCA set-theoretic method, in order to select the most typical case study in the set. The second step involved the casual process tracing, to analyse the selected case in depth. The paper offers a comprehensive approach to understand the linkages between several factors affecting the entrepreneurial choices. Also, acknowledging that the investigation of contextual elements other than the geographical ones is at the embryonic stage, this paper complements extant literature presenting the peculiar features of the domain of life-sciences. Our findings highlight that the joint and specific effort of universities, regulators, and policy makers, is crucial to support and enlarge researchers' entrepreneurship. The paper offers a more comprehensive approach to understand the linkages between several factors affecting the entrepreneurial choices. Also, acknowledging that the investigation of contextual elements other than the geographical ones is at the embryonic stage, this paper complements extant literature presenting the peculiar features of the domain of life-sciences.

Keywords: academic entrepreneurship; intentions; life-sciences; motivations; mixed-method research.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2018.090219

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2018 Vol.33 No.3, pp.449 - 464

Received: 30 May 2016
Accepted: 01 Jul 2016
Published online: 06 Mar 2018 *

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