The Reality of the Entrepreneurial Orientation of Universities in Light of the Philosophy of Activating the Third Mission A Field Study at the University of Zawia – Libya

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation—encompassing its dimensions of innovativeness, risk-taking, and proactiveness—and the activation of the third mission at the University of Zawia. Adopting a descriptive-analytical approach, the study used a questionnaire as the primary data-collection instrument. The target population comprised academic and administrative leaders at the university's Southern Campus, totaling 145 individuals distributed across five colleges and the general administration offices. Given the limited population size, a comprehensive census technique was employed. Following the exclusion of incomplete and invalid responses, the final analyzed sample consisted of 105 valid questionnaires. Data processing and statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).
The study revealed a strong, statistically significant correlation between entrepreneurial orientation across all its dimensions and the activation of the third mission. Furthermore, the results indicated that the overall level of practicing entrepreneurial orientation dimensions was (moderate), with a mean of (3.28). Conversely, the activation of the third mission recorded an overall (high) level with a mean of (3.42). Based on these findings, the study offered a set of recommendations, most notably: restructuring the university’s administrative regulations to become more flexible, formally integrating social responsibility into its strategic plans, establishing a specialized community service center, and creating an updated database tracking community need.