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What Motivates Scientists in Emerging Economies to Become Entrepreneurs? Evidence from Vietnam

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  • Thang Nguyen

    (Institute for Sustainable Development, National Economics University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam)

  • Lan Nguyen

    (Institute for Scientific Information, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam)

  • Scott Bryant

    (Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA)

  • Hieu Nguyen

    (Faculty of Planning and Development National Economics University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam)

Abstract

Studies of scientist entrepreneurship have recognized a diverse range of proself motivations but have largely ignored the role of prosocial motivation. As technology inventions often bring in high positive externality, we argue that prosocial motivation is important for scientist entrepreneurship and sustainable development. Drawing from motivated information processing theory we develop a model linking proself and prosocial motivation with scientist entrepreneurship. The hypotheses were tested based on survey data from a sample of Vietnamese scientists. The results show that both proself and prosocial motivation are positively associated with scientist entrepreneurship. However, the positive association between prosocial motivation and scientist entrepreneurship is lessened by proself motivation. This study calls for more attention to prosocial motivation in theory and policy development on scientist entrepreneurship.

Suggested Citation

  • Thang Nguyen & Lan Nguyen & Scott Bryant & Hieu Nguyen, 2020. "What Motivates Scientists in Emerging Economies to Become Entrepreneurs? Evidence from Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:3:p:1196-:d:317702
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