Knowledge transfer effectiveness of university-industry alliances

Abstract

Drawing on inter-organizational relations (IORs), the knowledge-based view (KBV), and the resource-based view (RBV) perspectives, this paper explores the relationship between partner complementarities, partner attributes, coordinating factors and relationship factors, together with a broad conceptualization of knowledge transfer effectiveness, consisting of research outcomes, development through tacit knowledge transfer, commercialization, and efficient coordination (RDCE model) in the university-industry context. The objectives of the study include: 1) to study the extent of knowledge transfer effectiveness between universities and industrial partners during 2007-2009; 2) to examine the determinants of the knowledge transfer effectiveness of universityindustry alliance partners, and 3) to test whether antecedent factors affect the effectiveness of knowledge transfer among alliance partners differently, and if it does, whether it influences the effectiveness of knowledge transfer directly, indirectly or both. The proposed path analytic model was tested using structural equation modeling to evaluate theoretically specified constructs and to collect survey data in order to validate the measures and examine the proposed causal relationship models. Using survey data gathered from 240 alliance partnerships, the statistical results revealed that the proposed model has a significant mediating effect that contributes to knowledge transfer effectiveness. Based on the causal path model, partner attributes and relationship factors are the key enablers on knowledge transfer effectiveness. These findings, however, reveal that partner complementarities in terms of strategic and resource alignment between partners are only key antecedent factors and have only an indirect effect contributing to knowledge transfer. This appears plausible since mere complementarities between partners may not lead to learning or knowledge transfer, which require a certain depth of partner interaction, specific attributes of partners, and relationship quality. These observations bring into question whether the network organization like alliance partnership can achieve the knowledge transfer effectiveness if it is a single coherent entity driven by a particular dominated partner. Instead, it suggests that alliances are socially embedded and therefore highly need to incorporate strategic orientation between university-industry alliance partners in terms of mutual dependence, management vision, governance mechanisms, institutional support, and network interface in order to enhance knowledge transfer, contain opportunism, and prevent defection from the university-industry alliances. Taking into consideration both universities and industrial partner perspectives, the results also outline a successful method that has enhanced the effectiveness of knowledge transfer by driving R&D co-development alliance projects in terms of changing academic outputs to the private sector market place. In making this transition, a number of obstacles, as well as opportunities, were addressed. Still, by looking inward, the author suggests that there exists an excellent opportunity for universities to meet the private sector needs for new product development and knowledge exchange. In return, the university’s outreach initiatives could develop unlimited opportunities for university stakeholders (faculty, students, alumni, etc.) to learn, prosper from, and advance their educational research mission by fostering active relationships via co-development alliances with the private sector.