Scale development and modeling of intellectual property creation capability in higher education

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-09-2018-0168
Pages115-138
Published date03 January 2020
Date03 January 2020
AuthorAnkur Kashyap,Rajat Agrawal
Subject MatterBehavioural accounting,Organizational structure/dynamics,Information & knowledge management,Knowledge management
Scale development and modeling
of intellectual property creation
capability in higher education
Ankur Kashyap
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India, and
Rajat Agrawal
Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
Abstract
Purpose At present, the contribution of higher educational institutes (HEIs) to economic development and
society at large is under constant evaluation. One important parameter that is counted in their performance
is generating intellectual capital. To maximize intellectual property (IP) (specifically patents which are
considered to have maximum economic value) pool, the purpose of this paper is to conceptualize IP creation
capability (IPCC) relevant to higher education. Furthermore, a scale is developed and validated to measure
IPCC in Indian HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach Both quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted for
multi-dimensional scale development. The use of pragmatic approach also complemented exploratory design of
the study for exploring relationship and developing a new instrument. The study further maps the connection
between constructs of IPCC by proposing a structural model using thepartial least squares path modeling method.
Findings A significant positive relationship was seen among policy, incentives, research facility, working
culture and IPCC subjected to Indian conditions. The findings based on data analysis suggest that incentive
has a mediating effect between policy and IPCC.
Practical implications Findings of the study could be used for formulating strategies to improve the
current state of IP creation in HEIs. The results of the study could also be applied for a better understanding
of the IP creation scenario in HEIs of India and similar developing countries.
Originality/value This study presents the first endeavor to develop a well-structured scale for measuring
IPCC especially in the context of the Indian higher education system. It contributes to research on higher
education studies, innovation and IP creation.
Keywords Intellectual property, Measurement scale, Intellectual capital, Higher education,
Intellectual assets, IP creation capability
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Higher education institutes (HEIs) which are primarily responsible for the development of
human resources by providing education and conducting research are now responsible for
cultural,societal and economic developmentin a more direct manner (Cricelli et al., 2018).HEIs
are not only an important source of technical change, innovation (Freeman, 1995; Nelson,
1993) but now active in establishing start-ups and similar commercial projects (Di Gregorio
and Shane, 2003). The acronym HEI is used for both Higher Education Institutionsand
Higher Education Insti tutes(Janetius et al., 2016). As our study is based on technical
institutes, we have considered the second form throughout the paper.
Although innovation is seen as difficult, expensive and protracted process, new lessons drive
individuals, organizations and networks to stimulate and embrace innovation on a grand scale
(Rao and Sutton, 2008). This trend is true in the context of higher education also. HEIs are
considered to have large amount of intellectual capital (IC). Now HEIs are focusing on generating
intellectual property (IP) from IC through proper awareness and improved quality of education
and research-based activities (Wu et al.,2010).Thereismuchvariabilitywithinstudentand
faculty characteristics from pre-graduate to doctorate level; therefore, a cautious approach is a
need for nurturing innovation which could result in future IC.
Journal of Intellectual Capital
Vol. 21 No. 1, 2020
pp. 115-138
© Emerald PublishingLimited
1469-1930
DOI 10.1108/JIC-09-2018-0168
Received 28 September 2018
Revised 5 December 2018
6 March 2019
22 June 2019
11 September 2019
14 November 2019
Accepted 24 November 2019
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/1469-1930.htm
115
Scale
development
and modeling
of IPCC
Various external agencies and governments are supervising academic outputs and
linking public funding to research results, particularly in the form of IP, through new
performance standards (Ramírez and Gordillo, 2014) and India is not an exception. The
government of India has initiated a ranking system National Institutional Ranking
Framework (NIRF)for HEIs across the country. NIRF ratings are considered seriously by
the government for giving financial as well as strategic support to HEIs in India. Different
parameters are considered for HEIs ranking and one such important parameter is IP
creation. Therefore, most of the Indian organizations are working seriously to improve their
IP indicators. These may be in the form of patents, technology transfer and start-ups based
on technology developed in-house. This study becomes important considering that IP
supports revenue generation and helps in the self-reliance of HEIs (Buenstorf, 2009; Geuna
and Nesta, 2006), thus reducing dependence on government aid. In the USA, only about 25
percent of finance comes from the state and rest of money derives from internal activities
( Jameel, 2018). HEIs that are equipped with strong IP show better performance (Cricelli et al.,
2018). Measurement and management of IP are becoming more and more critical in
present time (Ramírez and Gordillo, 2014) but adequate attention has not been paid to the
quantitative analysis of IP (Cricelli et al., 2018). This study tried to fill this gap by following a
mixed method approach for analyzing IP creation capability (IPCC) of HEIs.
Different research studies are available related to creation capabilities in different fields
such as knowledge creation capability for business firms (Wang et al., 2011); appropriation
capabilities of patent protection in R&D firms (Reitzig and Puranam, 2009); R&D capability
creation for IT companies (Breznitz, 2005); IC disclosure in industry (Giacosa et al., 2017);
creation capability for spin-out of universities (Lockett and Wright, 2005), but few are
relevant to HEIs in context to IP. Expanding the arena of the series, we have also modeled
the IPCC for HEIs. Furthermore, recent literature relevant to the context of IPCC is in the
perspective of European countries (Bisogno et al., 2018; Manes Rossi et al., 2018; Sangiorgi
and Siboni, 2017; Secundo et al., 2018; Ramírez and Gordillo, 2014), North American
countries (Cricelli et al., 2018), or central Asian countries (Sultanova et al., 2018). The
outcomes of these studies may not be safely extended to other countries with diverse
characteristics. India is a country having diverse cultural, operational and attitudinal
differences. A separate study was justified that suits her distinct academic ecosystem.
Considering the backdrop, following objectives of the study are proposed:
developing a scale for measuring IPCC of Indian HEIs; and
building a structural model that establishes a relation between IPCC and its
constructs with reference to the Indian context.
This study presents a first-hand investigation of faculty members understanding regarding
barriers, determinants and incentives related to their involvement in academic IP generation
processes. Study results put forward valuable insights into understanding the present
system and building efficient processes within HEIs for supporting patent activities based
on the perceptions and expectations of faculty members.
The research paper has seven sections: introduction forms Section 1. Section 2 deals
with the theoretical framework and hypotheses formation. In subsequent sections,
methodology associated with the study, analysis of data, validation, results, implication
and conclusions are discussed. Limitation of study and future research constitutes the
final section of the paper.
2. Theoretical framework and hypotheses formation
There are different forms of IP. Patent, copyright, trademark, geographical indicator are
some of the well-known forms of IP rights. With respect to the creation of new processes and
116
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