Determining the True Beneficiaries of University Research Output: Fostering Viability and Sustainability of Small and Medium Enterprises

This study sought to determine the true beneficiaries of research output. The study was motivated by the fact that research studies had been conducted, but the purported beneficiaries did not receive feedback. A case survey approach involving 80 lecturers from the Faculty of Commerce of one public university in Zimbabwe was utilised. Responses from academic researchers were elicited using semi-structured questionnaires. Frequencies, percentages, cross tabulations, and Pearson chi-square tests were used to analyze quantitative data. Thematic analysis was done on qualitative data. Only 36.92 percent of respondents had undertaken studies on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), while the remaining 63.08 percent had conducted other studies unrelated to SMEs, according to the data. Of the 36.92 percent of respondents who had done SMEs studies, 41.67 percent had not shared their findings with the intended recipients. According to the findings, some academic researchers do not seem to prioritize distribution of research output for practical use. Academics' failure to distribute results revealed fundamental issues. Researchers should be reminded of the necessity of communicating their findings for practical application, according to the study, and relevant authorities should stimulate the dissemination of research output by providing incentives and support systems. The study discovered a lack of research on who gains when research studies on SMEs are undertaken but the results are not disseminated to them, and it aimed to fill that gap.