Academic entrepreneurs' research experience, corporate positions and external knowledge search

Purpose This study explores how academic entrepreneurs' prior scientific research experience influences their firms' external knowledge search behaviors, and how their corporate positions within academic spin-offs moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on imprinting theory, we empirically examine 139 academic spin-offs listed on China's National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ). We measure research experience through academic titles and honors, and assess knowledge search behavior using patent citation data to capture both search breadth and search depth. Hierarchical regression analysis and robustness tests, including instrumental variable and subsample analysis, are employed to validate the results. Findings The results show that academic entrepreneurs' research experience significantly enhances both the depth and breadth of external knowledge search. Furthermore, corporate positions moderate these relationships: low or nonmanagerial roles amplify the impact of research experience on search depth, while high-level management roles strengthen its effect on search breadth. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature by linking imprinting theory to the knowledge acquisition strategies of academic entrepreneurs. It also advances understanding of how dual institutional logics, academic and commercial, shape boundary-spanning behavior depending on entrepreneurs' roles within their ventures.