Governance for Partnership Sustainability: An Approach from the Agency Theory

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to project the agency theory about triple helix; being more specific, corporate governance mechanism about the entity’s organizational structure that emerge as intermediaries partnerships within the triple helix (structured as a spin-off, business incubator, business accelerator, science park, among others), having as a base the agency theory. In this context it is proposed a governance framework starting with two drivers that make part of is known as governance throughput: the macro-structure of power and the organization’s management macro-processes. In this framework has built an array of classification of governance environment, based on information about the implementation of normative governance mechanisms and supervision generating quadrants with favorable and unfavorable levels of each dimension of governance drives. The proposed framework does not predict optimal decisions about key issues in governance (accountability, disclosure, compliance and fairness), but lists mechanisms to secure theoretical foundation that can mitigate the agency problems, hoping thereby to contribute to better understand the governance environment in partnerships within the triple helix.