The birth of social entrepreneurship within a Thai university
| Pages | 162-172 |
| Published date | 08 May 2018 |
| Date | 08 May 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JABS-09-2015-0169 |
| Author | Sutti Sooampon |
| Subject Matter | Strategy,International business |
The birth of social entrepreneurship within
a Thai university
Sutti Sooampon
Abstract
Purpose –This study aims to investigatewhether and how academic entrepreneurship can growin less
technologicallyadvanced conditions, particularly those seen in emergingmarkets. The objective was to
examine the pre-conditions for the birth and growth of university-based ventures in Thailand, where
sciencecommercialisation has not yet flourished.
Design/methodology/approach –A single case studyapproach was adopted for the in-depth studyof
the birth of an unusual entrepreneurial initiative in one academic unit within a dental school, an
environment thattypically focuses on academic work. Data frominterviews with key members working in
this unit were analysed to reveal the pre-conditions of entrepreneurship within this Thai university
department,with a focus on the existing understandingof academic entrepreneurship.
Findings –Social conditions, ratherthan technology-related motives, were importantfor the birth of the
university-based venture examined. Key triggers for academic entrepreneurship in this situation were
found toclosely align with a model of social entrepreneurship.
Originality/value –Evidence from this emergingeconomy can help expand the typology of academic
entrepreneurship.In addition to the technology-ledventures typically seen, the results from this studycall
for sociallyoriented university-basedventures that tackle social problemsin local society.
Keywords Thailand, Academic entrepreneurship, Social entrepreneurship,
Research commercialisation
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
This paper is rooted in the concept of academic entrepreneurship and aims to explore
entrepreneurship within the university context. Academic entrepreneurship is an emerging
phenomenon recently defined as the transformation of advanced scientific research into
commercial products, with a focus on high-technology ventures (Fontes, 2005). As a number of
new technology-based firms have grown from such initiatives, academic entrepreneurship is
gradually gaining a place on policymakers’ development agenda. University-based technology
development is increasingly tied to industry competitiveness under a comprehensive platform
called the national innovation system (Yusuf and Nabeshima, 2007). In Asia, the transformation
of the research of leading universities into commercial outcomes via academic entrepreneurship
is becoming increasingly significant in business and economic development (Wong, 2012). In
particular, the large gap between academic affair and commercialisation is needed to be filled
in, as it was found very critical to cultivate industrial development according to evidence seen in
China’s biomedical sector (Wu, 2006).
Given such contributions to national competitiveness and economic development, the Thai
government has promoted academic entrepreneurship through a science commercialisation
scheme, an acknowledged shift from a scientific to a commercial basis of academic work. Local
universities are being pushed to be more engaged in hi-technology product and business
development based on their scientific research. However, academic entrepreneurship in Thai
Sutti Sooampon is based at
Faculty of Administration
and Management, King
Mongkut’s Institute of
Technology Ladkrabang,
Bangkok, Thailand.
Received 23 September 2015
Revised 4 June 2016
12 November 2016
Accepted 1 December 2016
PAGE162 jJOURNAL OF ASIA BUS INESS STUDIES jVOL. 12 NO. 2 2018, pp. 162-172, ©EmeraldPublishing Limited, ISSN 1558-7894 DOI10.1108/JABS-09-2015-0169
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