Date of Award
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Business Administration
College
College of Business
First Advisor
Goran Kuljanin
Abstract
The commercial performance of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects remains substantially below national expectations despite decades of investment and strong technical output. Prior research suggests that commercialization outcomes depend not only on technological merit but also on the behavioral, cognitive, and managerial competencies of the Principal Investigator (PI), who often serves as both scientific lead and entrepreneurial decision-maker. Yet, systematic examination of PI-level attributes within SBIR contexts remains limited. This study investigates how six key constructs—Iterative Learning Process, Proactiveness, Organizational Risk Orientation, Scope Definition, Management Competence, and Simultaneous Project Engagement—relate to commercialization success among SBIR Phase II awardees. Drawing on Entrepreneurial Orientation theory, Project Portfolio Management (PPM) theory, and the Effectuation framework, we propose that commercialization emerges from the synergistic interaction of adaptive learning, forward-looking opportunity pursuit, balanced risk engagement, structured project framing, managerial capability, and the ability to coordinate multiple innovation efforts.
Copyright
Copyright © 2026 Mohammed Bekkour
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Bekkour, Mohammed, "Antecedents of the Principal Investigator’s Commercial Success When Funded by Small Business Innovation Research Program" (2026). Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University. 75.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/theses-dissertations/75