Obstacles of Academic Entrepreneurship and Commercialization of Knowledge in the Field of Knowledge and Information Science

The poor economic situation and the reduction of job opportunities have pushed universities towards academic entrepreneurship and commerciali-zation of knowledge. Nevertheless, the evidence shows there are many obstacles in the way of academic entrepreneurship, especially in some disciplines. Identifying obstacles to academic entrepreneurship is the first step toward its development. Therefore, the purpose of the current research was to identify the obstacles to academic entrepreneurship in the field of knowledge and information science. The current research was of an applied type which was conducted using the qualitative method of ground theory. The research community was the knowledge and information science faculty members at Iran's governmental universities. The sample members were selected by purposive sampling method. The basis for selecting the sample members was that they have at least five years of work experience as faculty members and have scientific records in fields with entrepreneurial orientation. A semi-structured interview was used to collect data. The interview processes continued until reaching theoretical saturation after interviewing 16 faculty members. Regarding academic rank, 4 of the sample members were professors, 7 were associate professors, and 5 were assistant professors. By analyzing the interview data, 90 primary codes were identified, and these codes were categorized into 12 sub-categories and three main categories. Macro obstacles, academic obstacles, and individual obstacles were the three main categories that hinder entrepreneurship and commercialization of knowledge in the field of knowledge and information science from the point of view of faculty members. Major obstacles were formed from 4 categories: economic factors, political factors, cultural factors, and strategic factors. Academic barriers consist of 4 sub-categories: university structure, university regulations and rules, university education, and course content. Individual obstacles also include 4 subcategories: scientific skills, communication skills, psychological skills, and entrepreneurial skills.   The present research has identified the most important obstacles to entrepreneurship and commercialization of knowledge in the field of knowledge and information science by studying the views of faculty members in the field of knowledge and information science. Although some obstacles to academic entrepreneurship, such as macro obstacles, are beyond the authority of faculty members and experts, by strengthening and investing in things that are under their control, such as individual obstacles, they can move towards academic entrepreneurship. Generally, the findings of this research can help in better planning for increasing academic entrepreneurship and commercialization of knowledge and removing its obstacles and shortcomings.