Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze potentially significant differences in a series of relevant characteristics of universities’ technology transfer offices (TTOs). To this end, TTOs have been classified by the function of their resources assigned to the enhancement of university entrepreneurship. The factors analyzed are the number of academic spin-offs created with the support of TTOs as well as the TTOs’ age, experience, professionalization and relational capital. Design/methodology/approach: The authors have performed a hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis to identify the groups of TTOs with homogeneous behavior and features. This multivariate technique allows determining whether it is possible to identify some differentiated conglomerates of TTOs. Findings: The results of the cluster analysis allow concluding that the number of academic spin-offs created with the support of TTOs, the age and degree of professionalization of these TTOs, the experiences of their employees in matters related to entrepreneurship and their relationships with market actors explain the different levels of commitment of TTOs toward the enhancement of university entrepreneurship. In contrast with the expected results, the relationship between TTOs and academic actors does not seem to explain such differences. Originality/value: This research contributes to the identification of the particular design characteristics that TTOs should exhibit to promote the entrepreneurial performance of universities, offering important recommendations to academic institutions regarding the efficient design of TTOs to manage university ambidexterity and to build TTOs’ entrepreneurial identity.

Purpose: This study explores the relationship between individual entrepreneurial orientation and digital entrepreneurial intention, focusing on the potential mediating role of digital competencies within the framework of social cognitive theory. Individual entrepreneurial orientation – comprising risk-taking, innovativeness and proactiveness – is examined in connection with students’ digital competencies and their digital entrepreneurial intention. Design/methodology/approach: Our sample comprised 751 Spanish university students who completed a questionnaire including questions on entrepreneurial orientation, digital competencies and digital entrepreneurial intention. The Multiple Mediator Model methodology was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings: The results obtained show that risk-taking and innovativeness significantly support digital entrepreneurial intention. Moreover, all dimensions of individual entrepreneurial orientation were positively related to the development of digital competencies, specifically information, communication, content development and problem-solving. Importantly, the analysis confirmed the mediating effect of the digital competencies – specifically information, digital communication and content creation – in the relationship between individual entrepreneurial orientation and digital entrepreneurial intention. Originality/value: This research contributes to the understanding of digital entrepreneurial intention through the integration of individual entrepreneurial orientation and students’ digital competencies, offering ideas for developing specific educational programmes that foster both individual entrepreneurial orientation and students’ digital competencies.

This study examines the interplay between psychological contract fulfillment, distributive justice, and leader–member exchange (LMX) in shaping affective organizational commitment among university academics. Drawing on social exchange theory, and using simple random sampling, we propose a moderated mediation model to explore how these variables interact. To test the hypotheses, we used the linear moderated mediation test, applying PROCESS for SPSS. Specifically, on a sample of 465 academics, the study tests the hypothesis that distributive justice mediates the relationship between psychological contract fulfillment and affective commitment, with LMX acting as a moderator. Findings reveal that distributive justice is not always necessary for fostering affective commitment when psychological contracts are fulfilled, unless the quality of LMX is low. In low-quality leader–member relationships, perceptions of distributive justice become crucial when it comes to translating contract fulfillment into affective commitment. These results highlight the importance of relational dynamics in academic settings, especially when resources are limited. The study concludes with a discussion of its theoretical and practical implications, as well as limitations and avenues for future research.

The analysis of the characteristics of Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) is particularly important as they constitute mediating units in the relationship between the market and university research. They are responsible for the transfer and exploitation of knowledge arising in the university context. Previous studies have been inconclusive as to the importance that the size, professionalisation or age of TTOs might have on the transfer process. However, the need to explore new markets, recognise new opportunities and identify potential customers points to the importance of TTOs having a dual exploitative and exploratory orientation and an extensive relational network. More recent research in the literature, based on ambidexterity and network theory, points to the impact that these variables could have on change management and innovation in uncertain and changing environments, such as those faced by TTOs in the current pandemic context. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to analyse whether Spanish TTOs, due to their ambidextrous orientation at the organisational and individual level, and their relational network with academic and market actors, are prepared to promote innovation in a COVID-19 context. Based on a cluster analysis of 29 Spanish TTOs, our results show that just a few of the Spanish TTOs surveyed would be prepared, from the perspective of ambidexterity and their relational capital, to promote innovation in a COVID-19 context. In conclusion, Spanish TTOs and their employees should focus more on ambidexterity and building extensive relational capital so that, through mentoring, training, incubation or the provision of various resources, they can help academics take advantage of the innovation opportunities offered by the changing and uncertain environment.

Digital entrepreneurship has become a key driver of innovation and economic development in highly digitalized contexts. This study examines the relationship between digital competencies and digital entrepreneurial intention, focusing on the mediating role of technological innovativeness among university students, within the framework of social cognitive theory. A multiple mediation model was tested using a sample of 751 university students in Spain. The results reveal that specific digital competencies positively influence digital entrepreneurial intention, and that individual technological innovativeness plays a key mediating role in the relationship between specific digital competencies and digital entrepreneurial intention. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how digital competencies are linked to digital entrepreneurial intention through individuals’ technological innovativeness. Furthermore, the study offers practical implications for the design of university programs aimed at strengthening students’ digital competencies and technological innovativeness, as well as fostering entrepreneurial intention in digital environments.