Doctoral researchers' views on entrepreneurship: ranging from ‘a responsibility to improve the future’ to ‘a dirty word’

Policy changes prompt many universities to become more entrepreneurial and doctoral researchers, especially those working in science and technology, are expected to play important roles, contributing to the growth of knowledge economies through entrepreneurial activity. Informal evidence of differing views on entrepreneurship between Chinese and British doctoral students prompted a quantitative and qualitative investigation, designed to generate a fuller insight. The findings confirmed that Chinese students were more likely to agree that research should contribute to economic success and to view entrepreneurship as a natural means of doing so, as part of their ‘responsibility to improve the future’. In contrast, the British students' views were less positive, with one participant associating entrepreneurship with commerce and a ‘dirty word’. The study explores the factors contributing to this range of views and implications for researchers and universities. It concludes with recommendations to produce more informed and proactive engagement of researchers with entrepreneurialism.