Barriers for start-ups: Problems encountered during the founding processes of university spin-offs

Abstract

"Although it is well known that many academic business ideas are abandoned during the pre-seed phase, the underlying reasons for this phenomenon are largely unknown. I argue that very similar issues are perceived and evaluated differently by nascent entrepreneurs and, thus, have different effects on the venture-creation process. This article analyses the founding barriers preventing the organisational emergence of university spin-offs from a constructivist perspective. I explore the problems encountered by 171 nascent entrepreneurs during the preparation of academic spin-offs. My results suggest that several issues are perceived to be problematic. Unexpectedly, sales-related factors have no impact on project realisation. Issues such as fear of failure, opportunity costs and problems with recruiting co-founders have a significantly negative impact on spin-off creation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Schleinkofer, M. (2014): Barriers for start-ups: Problems encountered during the founding processes of university spin-offs. In: Journal advances in higher education, Vol. 6, No. 1, p. 174-187.