Entrepreneurial Orientation of Technology Spin-offs Created by University Faculties and Institute Researchers in Korea

This research focuses on entrepreneurial orientation(EO) of technology spin-offs as they are expected to reduce the gap between their technology and the market. Entrepreneurial orientation is an organizational activity or process that redistributes or combines resources in an innovative way and takes risk to create new values. It helps improve the level of organizational innovation to deal with uncertainty. An empirical study was performed to analyze the EO of spin-offs established by members of university faculties and research institutes in Korea. Antecedent variables to EO are hypothesized to include public policy for university faculty members and researchers at research institutes, the relationship with incubating organizations, and the level of social networking with other firms. The EO and technological performance relationships are also hypothesized. Data from a total of 121 spin-off organizations were collected and a series of multiple regressions were performed. The performance variable included both technological performance, such as the number of newly marketed products and new technology and subjective performance, such as the level of satisfaction with sales amount and profitability. Several important conclusions were drawn from this study. First, while government policy is not related to EO, the policy of a university or a research institute has a significant effect on the level of innovativeness. Second, a high percentage of human resources applied at the incubating organization results in a negative effect on risk taking. The level of cooperation with the incubating organization too is not related to Entrepreneurial Orientation. Third, the intensity of cooperative networking with other firms has a significant effect on risk-taking. Network relationship with government related organizations is not related to Entrepreneurial Orientation. This study analyzes the importance and role of policy of the university and research institute and networking with other firms to improve EO. It also suggests that a high composition of human resources at the incubating organization has a negative relationship with EO.