The emergence and salience of an entrepreneurial identity in Academic Entrepreneurs

In this exploratory study, we examine the factors that underlie the emergence and salience of an entrepreneurial identity in academics involved in the creation of spinoffs. The emergence and salience of an entrepreneurial identity matters because it has been linked to a number of relevant entrepreneurial processes and outcomes, although academics rarely adopt it. Data from in-depth interviews with 26 academic entrepreneurs occupying stable positions at public universities reveals that academics experience role identity conflicts when involved in new venture creation activities and that they tackle this conflict by engaging in three types of distinct resolution strategies. We find that the level of involvement in the spinoff formation activities associated with each of the three conflict resolution strategies, along with the self-assessments of their entrepreneurial traits, seems to influence the emergence and salience of an entrepreneurial identity and the hierarchical position of this identity in a hybrid combination. The implication is that the emergence and salience of an entrepreneurial identity in academic entrepreneurs could be influenced by the activities they engage in while coping with role conflict, which poses interesting avenues for policy makers interested in promoting spinoff formation.