University Knowledge Spillover Effects on Entrepreneurship:An Exploratory Study of Indian Entrepreneurs

This study aims to provide an understanding of factors that influence knowledge spillover effects from universities on entrepreneurs in India. Based on interviews conducted with five entrepreneurs in Hyderabad, India, this research study describes the experiences of participants' interactions with universities and explores factors that influence entrepreneurs' formal and informal interactions with universities. Knowledge transfer theory has been used to provide theoretical basis and phenomenology has been used as research methodology for this study. Analysis of the data collected suggests three key constituents describing participants' experience of interacting with universities: (i) constraining; (ii) socially fulfilling; and (iii) complex and disappointing. Five factors, namely, (i) mismatch of execution focus; (ii) abstractness of knowledge; (iii) opportunity to create social good; (iv) credibility with top management of the university; and (v) lack of familiarity with university system, across the three constituents of experience, have been found to influence interactions between university and entrepreneurs.