Networking, entrepreneurship and productivity in universities

The importance of networking in fostering entrepreneurial activities has been widely researched over the last decade. There is however limited evidence of the association between these two constructs in a knowledge-based environment. As universities are under constant pressure to improve the productivity of academic staff, we examine the role of social interaction in fostering entrepreneurial activities. A web-based survey is implemented, facilitated by empirical analysis using correlation and multiple regression to probe the relationship between these constructs. Whilst it can be concluded that the constructs are all multidimensional, varying relationships were identified when statistically examining the interrelations. Overall, there is a significant relationship between networking and productivity. Entrepreneurship also portrays such significance, albeit varying between dimensions of autonomy, innovativeness, risk taking, proactiveness and competitive aggressiveness.