Entrepreneurial competencies leading to innovative behavior amongst academic librarians in Malaysian research universities / Haziah Sa'ari

This thesis reports a case study of two Malaysian public research universities (RU) academic librarians with regards to their entrepreneurial competencies leading to innovative behaviour. The primary objectives of the study are: to identify the entrepreneurial competencies leading to innovative behaviour practiced by academic librarians in two RU libraries; to explore how entrepreneurial competencies influence innovative behaviour demonstrate by academic librarians in two RU libraries; and to identify the motivational factors perceived by the academic librarians that stimulate them to demonstrate innovative performance in the context they work. Qualitative data was gathered based on a conceptual framework on entrepreneurial competencies and innovative behaviour developed, through series of focus group discussion and face-to-face interviews with 12 informants. The data shows considerable evidence from the librarians involved in this study that the Malaysian RU academic libraries are dynamic in which the practices of entrepreneurial competencies leading to innovative behaviours have taken place to a certain extent with incremental award winning innovations. The entrepreneurial competencies leading to innovative behaviours were being practiced in both cases within the parameter of their professional norms focusing on processes that contribute to the bureaucratic sluggishness inherent in the traditional structure of the academic library. The findings show that not only in the recognition of the need to be entrepreneurial and innovative, but also in the diversity of roles and responsibilities cited and the progressing innovations projects and initiatives undertaken. Overall the findings of the two cases of the Malaysian public RU libraries revealed a domain that can be used to describe the librarians' and the chief librarians' perspectives on the three questions and objectives of the study. The domains revealed by the findings are the contextual factors both internal and external that influenced the librarians to practice their entrepreneurial competencies leading to similar and common innovative behaviour directed towards a common objective to both cases which is fulfilling the mission and continuing maintenance of the goals of the position of the two RUs in the world ranking status. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurial Competencies, Innovative Behaviour, Organizational Climate, Research Universities and Academic Librarians