A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Academics Commercialization Decision at Malaysian Research Universities

Objective – This paper seeks to explore the heterogeneity of academic personal attributes that influence their entrepreneurial decisions and proposes a unique window of understanding the diversity of their personal attributes towards their commercialization approaches. Methodology/Technique – This research adopts Grounded Theory Methodology (GTM) of Straussian approach particularly the constructivist-interpretivist epistemology with extension to multiple case studies. Theoretical sampling is used to select a total of 42 academics of ICT faculties from five Malaysian research universities (RUs). Semi-structured interviews are used to elicit information in relation to their research and commercialization activities. Findings – Based on interviewees' transcripts and their Curriculum Vitae (CV), we inductively develop a conceptual framework to explain the phenomenon of how academics choose their commercialization approaches. Novelty – This paper is expected to give a new inside into the existing academic entrepreneurship literature. To the practitioners, it helps them to better understand the heterogeneity of academics and therefore should facilitate them to nurture such commercialization efforts. Type of Paper: Empirical