Developing a Model for Empowering the Academic Staff Members of Islamic Azad University to Enhance Medical Knowledge: A Case Study on Start-up Launching

Introduction: This research aimed to provide a model for empowering the academic staff members to enhance medical sciences.Methods: This research had a mixed-method design (qualitative and quantitative). The statistical population for the qualitative part included start-up experts, and the quantitative part included all academic staff members working in the medical units of the Islamic Azad University of Tehran. In the qualitative part of the study, a purposive sampling approach was utilized to select participants. On the other hand, a randomly clustered sampling technique was employed for the quantitative part to ensure a representative sample. The research tool consisted of a semi-structured interview and a researcher-made Likert-scale questionnaire. T-test and multivariate regression were computed using SPSS 23.Results: The effect of various components on empowerment, listed in order of priority based on the beta coefficients, is as follows: marketing and commercialization of knowledge (β=0.354), attracting business elites (β=0.306), knowledge sharing (β=0.265), analysis of financial risk (β=0.143), formation of business support association (β=0.111), value design and use of new technologies (β=0.075), financial and legal support of the government (0.066) =β), environmental changes (β=0.056), increasing value-creating activities (β=0.044), infrastructure provision (β=0.037), and discussion about startups (β=0.024).Conclusion: The effectiveness of business activities in the competitive landscape of launching start-ups is enhanced through the empowerment of academic staff members. Empowered academic staff members enable managers to clearly understand their organization's position and make informed decisions in response to the prevailing conditions. This empowerment enables them to identify the appropriate application areas and take strategic steps towards developing medical knowledge.