Identification of Components and Indicators of Knowledge Commercialization in the Iranian Higher Education System Using Content Analysis and DEMATEL Technique

The main aim of this study is to identify the dimensions and components of knowledge commercialization in the Iranian higher education system using thematic analysis and DEMATEL technique. The method of present study was mixed (qualitative-quantitative). The statistical population of the study included experts who have scientific and practical experiences on the subject. They were identified by the snowball method. In the first and qualitative step, in addition to documentary study, after 16 interviews, theoretical saturation was obtained. Also, thematic analysis technique and MAXQDA12 software were used to identify the dimensions, components and indicators. To assess the validity of the interviews, the opinions of 2 colleagues were used. Finally, basic, organizing and comprehensive themes were extracted. In the quantitative section, DEMATEL technique was used to determine the impact and effectiveness of the dimensions of knowledge commercialization in the Iranian higher education system. According to semi-structured interviews, 6 dimensions (environmental factors, organizational structure, mental characteristics of knowledge creators, characteristics of created knowledge, characteristics of knowledge consumers and type of knowledge) and 25 components (organizing themes) and 87 indicators (basic themes) were extracted for the knowledge commercialization in the Iranian higher education system. Then, according to the pairwise comparison questionnaire to identify effective and influential dimensions, it was found that the characteristics of knowledge consumers, organizational structure, environmental factors, characteristics of created knowledge, type of knowledge and mental characteristics of knowledge creators, respectively, have higher importance.