Drivers of Opportunity Exploitation in Entrepreneurial Universities: A Meta Synthesis Study
- 1Entrepreneurship PhD Student, Department of Technology, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
- 2Associate Professor, Department of New Business, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
- 3Entrepreneurship PhD Student, Department of Corporate, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, College of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Background: The shift toward the entrepreneurial university has underscored the importance of effectively exploiting scientific and technological opportunities as a key performance indicator. Despite the growing body of research in this field, a comprehensive picture of the key drivers and their impact mechanisms on entrepreneurial universities remains elusive. This study aims to systematically identify and explain these drivers within the literature on the entrepreneurial university.
Methods: In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and in terms of methodology, it is qualitative, conducted through a meta synthesis approach following the seven step framework by Sandelowski et al. Data were collected from the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases covering the period 2000–2025. The initial search yielded 727 articles. After excluding non English articles, duplicates, and screening titles and abstracts for relevance and full text availability, 60 eligible articles were ultimately selected.
Results: The analysis of the selected articles identified 14 drivers that influence opportunity exploitation in entrepreneurial universities. These drivers were classified into four main categories: 1) Knowledge Value Chain, 2) Governance and Organizational Capabilities, 3) Agency and Learning, and finally, 4) Value Creating Linkages.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that successful opportunity exploitation in entrepreneurial universities follows a multi level mechanism and synergistic interplay among drivers within these four categories. This provides a clear path for researchers to develop advanced analytical and empirical models, enabling the examination of the relative impact of each dimension and mechanism. Consequently, it can serve as a foundation for practical guidance for university administrators and policymakers in the university entrepreneurship ecosystem. Keywords: Drivers, Opportunity Exploitation, Entrepreneurial University, Meta synthesis Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the Library of the Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, and the Research and Technology Deputy of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, for providing access to the scientific databases used for data retrieval, analysis, and review. The authors also acknowledge all researchers whose published articles were included in this study.
Conflict of Interes: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Publication consent: Not applicable.
Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Confidentiality of the information was maintained throughout all stages of the research.
Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. All authors critically revised the manuscript, approved the final version for publication, and accept full responsibility for its content
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BibTeX
@article{khayatan2026drivers,
title = {{Drivers of Opportunity Exploitation in Entrepreneurial Universities: A Meta Synthesis Study}},
author = {Mahdi Khayatan and Ali Davari and Ali Motevali},
journal = {تحقیق و توسعه سلامت},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Drivers of Opportunity Exploitation in Entrepreneurial Universities: A Meta Synthesis Study
AU - Mahdi Khayatan
AU - Ali Davari
AU - Ali Motevali
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/31
JO - تحقیق و توسعه سلامت
AB - Background: The shift toward the entrepreneurial university has underscored the importance of effectively exploiting scientific and technological opportunities as a key performance indicator. Despite the growing body of research in this field, a comprehensive picture of the key drivers and their impact mechanisms on entrepreneurial universities remains elusive. This study aims to systematically identify and explain these drivers within the literature on the entrepreneurial university. Methods: In terms of purpose, the research is applied, and in terms of methodology, it is qualitative, conducted through a meta synthesis approach following the seven step framework by Sandelowski et al. Data were collected from the Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases covering the period 2000–2025. The initial search yielded 727 articles. After excluding non English articles, duplicates, and screening titles and abstracts for relevance and full text availability, 60 eligible articles were ultimately selected. Results: The analysis of the selected articles identified 14 drivers that influence opportunity exploitation in entrepreneurial universities. These drivers were classified into four main categories: 1) Knowledge Value Chain, 2) Governance and Organizational Capabilities, 3) Agency and Learning, and finally, 4) Value Creating Linkages. Conclusion: The findings of the present study indicate that successful opportunity exploitation in entrepreneurial universities follows a multi level mechanism and synergistic interplay among drivers within these four categories. This provides a clear path for researchers to develop advanced analytical and empirical models, enabling the examination of the relative impact of each dimension and mechanism. Consequently, it can serve as a foundation for practical guidance for university administrators and policymakers in the university entrepreneurship ecosystem. Keywords: Drivers, Opportunity Exploitation, Entrepreneurial University, Meta synthesis Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the Library of the Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, and the Research and Technology Deputy of Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, for providing access to the scientific databases used for data retrieval, analysis, and review. The authors also acknowledge all researchers whose published articles were included in this study. Conflict of Interes: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article. Publication consent: Not applicable. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was conducted in accordance with the ethical principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki. Confidentiality of the information was maintained throughout all stages of the research. Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Authors’ contributions: All authors contributed equally to the conception and design of the study, data collection, analysis, and interpretation. All authors critically revised the manuscript, approved the final version for publication, and accept full responsibility for its content
SN - 3041-9670
ER -