The Emergence of University Entrepreneurial Orientation in a Technological University: A Case of a Sri Lankan National University

Abstract

The role of higher education institutes is gaining increased attention as a key determinant in economic and social development of a country. Education systems in South Asian countries especially the technology stream concentrates on development of knowledge where entrepreneurial attitude and skills development aspects have been mostly neglected. However, by re-designing and reforming university system to facilitate and promote entrepreneurial ecosystems, few universities have gained attention. In addressing this need, ABC University, the most sought after technological university in Sri Lanka, launched a range of entrepreneurial initiatives to craft the enterprise capabilities of undergraduates. ABC University has been able to facilitate an increasing number of start-ups. However, the dynamics and perceived effectiveness of such phenomena are relatively less explored, and its successful implementation requires the adoption of different approaches, in different contexts. The main motivation of the study was to investigate stakeholders' attitudes towards these initiatives while exploring the dynamics and key success factors contributing to the effectiveness of entrepreneurial eco-system. The study adopted a qualitative methodology with in-depth interview as the main method. In-depth interviews were conducted with the key stakeholders selected based on purposive sampling Thematic analysis of qualitative interview data revealed that transformational leadership style created a dynamic entrepreneurial strategy and inspirational motivation that facilitated radical change. The analysis revealed many interesting facets of the success including how complex relations to foreign universities and expatriate academics influenced the process, effect of existing reputation of the university and how structural changes reduced the barriers. Student focused programmes have to be initiated before institutionalizing entrepreneurship via curriculum amendments and before changing the university organizational structure. This study provides insights on how to enable entrepreneurship in local public university system.