Identification and Prioritization of Intrapreneurship Barriers in the Libraries of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and Mashhad University of Medical Sciences

Nowadays, libraries need intrapreneurship to maintain their position and exert a greater impact on society. However, the results of studies show that intrapreneurship in libraries is in an unfavorable situation. Therefore, this study aimed at identifying and prioritizing the barriers to intrapreneurship in the libraries of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

The present study was applied in purpose and a survey in method. The statistical population of the study consisted of all the librarians at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (n=47) and Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (n=45). A stratified random sampling procedure was employed to determine the sample size (each university was considered one stratum). Based on Cochran’s sample size formula, the sample size for Ferdowsi University was calculated at 37 and the sample size for Mashhad University of Medical Sciences was calculated at 30. A researcher-generated questionnaire served as the data collection method. Due to the lack of a standardized questionnaire evaluating the barriers to intrapreneurship in libraries, a list of these barriers was prepared using a three-pronged model by reviewing relevant texts and literature as well as interviewing experts. The barriers were divided into three categories of behavioral, structural and contextual. Based on the list, a questionnaire was designed with two sections on a five-value Likert scale: demographic data and behavioral (34 items), structural (19 items), and contextual (19 items) intrapreneurship barriers. The content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by asking the opinion of the faculty members of the departments of Knowledge and Information Science as well as Management. Using Cronbach Alpha, the questionnaire’s reliability was also calculated and confirmed (82 percent). The data were analyzed using SPSS software for both the descriptive and inferential statistics. 

The results revealed the three categories of structural, behavioral, and contextual intrapreneurship barriers in the libraries of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. From the point of view of the librarians in both libraries, there was a meaningful difference between the three categories of barriers in terms of significance, indicating that the contextual barriers were the most significant, followed by the structural and behavioral barriers, respectively. Legal, economic, environmental, and technical factors made up the contextual barriers in the libraries of both universities. While economic factors were found to be the most significant contextual barrier in both universities, environmental factors were identified as the least significant ones. The social factors, however, were not among the contextual barriers in both universities. Organizational structure, performance evaluation system, and payment system in the libraries of both universities, and organizational strategy in the libraries of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were identified as the intrapreneurship structural barriers. Nevertheless, in no library under study information system was identified as a barrier. The payment system was found to be the most significant intrapreneurship barrier in the libraries of both universities. Performance evaluation system was identified as the least significant structural barriers in the libraries of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and organizational strategy was identified as the least significant structural barriers in the libraries of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. Organizational culture and personality traits of the staff and managers in the libraries of both universities, as well as organizational conflict in the libraries of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad were not among the intrapreneurship behavioral barriers. However, the staff’s motivation and leadership style in the libraries of both universities, as well as organizational conflict in the libraries of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences were identified as the intrapreneurship behavioral barriers. While the staff's motivation was the most significant intrapreneurship behavioral barrier in both universities, leadership style was the least significant barriers in the libraries of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, and organizational conflict was the least significant barrier in the libraries of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.

There are numerous internal and external intrapreneurship barriers in the libraries of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. However, it is important to note that the personality traits of the librarians and managers as well as organizational culture in these libraries are in a good condition as important factors to shape entrepreneurial behavior in an organization and if the intrapreneurship barriers are removed, entrepreneurial activities will be well possible. It was further concluded that although contextual barriers were the most significant intrapreneurship behavioral barriers in these libraries and their removal is out of the control of the mother organization and libraries and require the government to revise policies and activities, the authorities and policy-makers of these two universities could benefit from the findings of this research and adopt suitable policies and strategies to remove these barriers.