The Role of the Subjective Norm in Explaining the Performance of Entrepreneurial Universities

A plethora of studies, particularly in developed economies explain the diversity of variables that impact academic entrepreneurship and the fulfillment of the third mission of universities. These universities are in contexts where they receive support from the state and the private sector and therefore have a high dynamic of technology transfer activities. However, in developing economies, universities are fulfilling their third mission despite the absence of support from the state and the private sector. For this reason and in response to the call of other relevant scientific studies in the field of academic entrepreneurship, in this research we use as a theoretical lens the Theory of Planned Behavior to argue that the low levels of the Subjective Norm, accompanied by a high degree of Attitude Towards the Behavior, and Perceived Behavioral Control, explain the entrepreneurial behavior of universities in developing economies. We base our argument on data obtained from semi-structured interviews (39), focus groups (6), observation panels (1), and surveys conducted among university staff, located in the developing countries of Bolivia, Colombia, and Ecuador."