University Knowledge Transfer Research Articles

Presenting the Strategic Orientation Model of Knowledge Transfer in University of Applied Sciences and Technology

Presenting the Strategic Orientation Model of Knowledge Transfer in University of Applied Sciences and Technology

University Knowledge Transfer and Its Associated Challenges for Sustainable Impact: Case of the University of Rwanda

Purpose: The study sought to identify the obstacles that university-based hubs confront in attaining long-term effects.
 Methodology: Given the subjective character of the topic under investigation, the study took a qualitative approach and was guided by the Triple Helix Model. The University of Rwanda was used as a case study, with five respondents questioned.
 Findings: The study discovered that, while certain gains have been recorded, there are still many problems that are impeding the realization of the aims of building ihubs. Internal shortcomings included poor communication between departments, incompatible university administrative structures, insufficient finance, and a lack of labs and other critical technology. External weaknesses, on the other hand, revolved around the informal character of the university-industry connections. These flaws have resulted in what is known as single confinement.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The study makes several recommendations for ihubs to have a long-term impact including streamlining the University of Rwanda's management, increasing university funding, improving interdepartmental communication at the university, and formalizing links between the university and the industrial sector.

Entrepreneurial intention among Colombian university students: A theory of planned behavior analysis in Colombia

Studies on entrepreneurship have used several approaches, among which, research on entrepreneurial intention (EI) can be highlighted. Studies on EI help researchers better understand entrepreneurial behavior. In this sense, one of the most relevant frameworks in EI studies is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which stands out for its predictive capacity, mainly in a university context. The aim of this research was to determine the relationship between the variables of Personal Attitudes (PAs), Subjective Norms (SNs), and Perceived Behavioral Control (PBC) with respect to the EI of university students in Colombia. For this purpose, we constructed a model that integrates the elements of the TPB with EI with reference to the validated instrument of the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Student's Survey (GUESSS) project applied to a sample of 12,383 students. The estimation of the model uses structural equations (SEMs) by means of Partial Least Squares-Path Modelling (PLS-PM). The findings show that PAs and PBC are determinants of EI, while SNs have no direct influence; however, their effects are indirect. These results have implications for how to promote entrepreneurship in emerging economies through the university environment. The results indicate that the development of students' capabilities is essential for entrepreneurship and its incorporation into the university's knowledge transfer model.

The influence of informal mechanisms of university knowledge transfer on firm level innovation performance: an empirical analysis in Ghana

ABSTRACT This study seeks to investigate firm-level innovation, exploring whether social relationships located in knowledge networks influence the transfer of university knowledge to Ghanaian firms. Firms’ informal relationships with universities have been under-researched in developing economies. The extant literature suggests that informal relationships in the context of economies with advanced regional and national innovation systems have a positive association with firm level innovation performance. The research project employs a cross-sectional survey of 245 firms in Ghana. The aim of the project is to explore the influence of informal mechanisms of university knowledge transfer on firm level innovation performance in Ghana. The study adopts a structural model with partial least squares as an analytical technique. The findings reveal that to deliver positive results in a firm’s innovation performance by informal means, a well-coordinated social system to attract research knowledge from all aspects of the university system is required. The research project’s implications for Ghana’s innovation system include a need to be aware of the impact of corruption and lack of intellectual property rights on the efficacy informal knowledge transfer.

Knowledge Transfer to Industry: How Non-Accounting Students Learn to Become Boundary Spanners during Industry-Related Collaboration

Knowledge has become the most important source of competitive advantage, this led to the important role of universities as producers of knowledge. However, the industrial activities of firms do not significantly explain differences in importance of a wide variety of channels through which knowledge between university and industry might be transferred. Therefore, this study focuses on the process by which non-accounting students become boundary spanners remains relatively unexplored. This study serves to shed new light on the matter by drawing on an in-depth study to stimulate industry adoption of a university knowledge transfer particularly on tax education among university non-accounting students. Non-accounting students have no or limited knowledge on taxation, lacking of awareness and knowledge in taxation law will be a problem and burden to them as the future taxpayer. Our rich dataset is a result of following the outcome of 150 non-accounting students from start to finish, in the program known as Hasil My Tax Buddy (HYTB, 2022). Our analyses offer novel insight to understand tax knowledge boundaries faced during engagement activities and a critical input to developing and improving boundary spanning abilities. Our findings offer important tax implications for research on industry-related collaboration and tax awareness.

Drivers of Academic Engagement and University–Industry Collaboration in Conditions of Slovakia

Universities have been perceived for several decades as an important development factor in the space that shapes the regional environment throughout the generation of new knowledge or technologies and the production of human capital. Our paper focuses on the less researched phenomenon of academic engagement, and thus, the development of university knowledge transfer based on interpersonal links between researchers and application actors from an academic perspective. This empirical study evaluates the results of a nationwide survey of academic researchers devoted to unhiding various aspects of formal and informal cooperation on an interpersonal basis. Using an econometric approach, the study investigates determinants of academic engagement of individual researchers and describes patterns of formal and informal ties between academics and businesses. The results explain which researchers participate in academic engagement activities and elaborate on the motivations and barriers of university–industry cooperation at the level of the individual. We also identified a significant volume of informal dissemination of knowledge of universities in the space via various channels.

The Effect of Technology Readiness on Individual Absorptive Capacity Toward Learning Behavior in Australian Universities

Recipient's absorptive capacity (ACAP) is a barrier to knowledge transfer in organizations. The technology readiness (TR) dimensions measure an individual's technological beliefs and aligns with the individual's ACAP. The purpose of this research is to study if technological beliefs have a causal effect onto individual learning capability and behaviour. University's knowledge transfer makes them an ideal context for this research. Through surveying individuals and conducting statistical analysis, the authors provide empirical evidence that there is a causal effect from the TR dimensions to individuals ACAP and their technological learning behaviour at the individual level. The findings could potentially help leverage technology to address said recipient's ACAP. It would also benefit the development of new technologies, in particular in e-learning and tailoring pedagogy.

THE INFLUENCE OF REGIONAL SUPPLY, DEMAND AND COMPETITION FACTORS ON THE KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER OUTCOMES OF UNIVERSITIES

We use survey data for up to 292 universities in 17 European countries to examine the influence of the employment share in knowledge-intensive services (KIS), location in a metropolitan region, and competition from other universities and research institutes in the same region on three measures of university knowledge transfer outcomes: the number of research agreements, licensing, and the number of start-ups. The results show that the KIS employment share has a positive correlation with the number of start-ups, while the location in a metropolitan region is positively correlated with the number of research agreements. Competition from quality-weighted universities in the same region as the focal university decreases the number of research and licensing agreements, although the highest-ranked 13.4% of universities benefit from the regional co-location of other high-quality universities for license income. The number of research institutes in the same region is unrelated to the number of research agreements, licenses and start-ups, but has a positive effect on license income. These results suggest that universities compete with top-ranked universities for regional demand for knowledge.

University-industry innovation community dynamics and knowledge transfer: Evidence from China

Much of the emphasis on university-industry (U–I) knowledge transfer has been on facilitating dyadic interactions between universities and firms. However, merely a few studies have investigated knowledge transfer from a community-based innovation perspective. This research unveils the explicit structure and dynamic characteristics of U–I communities and examines the relationship between community dynamics and university knowledge transfer. The results indicate that U–I innovation communities in China present single- and multi-center structures and are evolving from “localizing” to “specializing”. Using membership turnover as a means of measuring community dynamics, we discover that community dynamics significantly affect university knowledge transfer in a curvilinear manner. Moreover, this inverted U-shaped relationship is moderated by a university's within-community position. The results of the other variables show that geographical distance does not significantly affect community-based knowledge transfer, while knowledge diversity positively contributes towards knowledge transfer performance. Our findings advance the innovation community theory by mapping social network mechanisms into community generation, evolution, and knowledge transfer. Notable practical implications are provided for U–I innovation community stakeholders and practitioners who engage in knowledge commercialization and innovation.

Development of Information Resources to Ensure Continuing Education and Knowledge Transfer in Chemical Universities

Development of Information Resources to Ensure Continuing Education and Knowledge Transfer in Chemical Universities

Examining knowledge transfer activities in UK universities: advocating a PROMETHEE-based approach

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the portfolio of knowledge transfer (KT) activities in 162 UK higher education institutions. In doing so, this study creates an index and ranking, but more importantly, it identifies specific groupings or strategic profiles of universities defined by different combinations and strengths of the individual KT activities from which the overall rankings are derived. Previous research, concentrating on entrepreneurial universities, shows that individual knowledge transfer (KT) activities vary substantially among UK universities. The broad portfolio of universities' KT activities, however, remains underexplored, creating gaps in terms of the relative strength, range, focus and combination of these activities, and the degree to which there are distinct university strategic KT profiles. By examining KT activities and grouping universities into KT “types”, this research allows universities and policymakers to better develop and measure clearer KT-strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe present study applied the Preference Ranking Organization Method for the Enrichment of Evaluations (PROMETHEE) to rank universities based on their portfolio of KT activities. It utilised data from the 2015–2016 Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey dataset.FindingsFindings show that universities differ substantially in their portfolios of KT activities. By using PROMETHEE, a new ranking of universities is generated, based on their KT portfolio. This paper also identifies four distinct types or groups of universities based on the diversity and intensity of their KT activities: Ambidextrous, broad, focused and indifferent.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature, and more specifically entrepreneurial activities of universities through new knowledge generated concerning university KT activity. The research extends the existing literature on university archetypes (including those concerned with the Entrepreneurial University) and rankings using a new technique that allows for more detailed analysis of the range of university KT activities. By applying the PROMETHEE approach, results illustrate a more nuanced definition of university KT activities than before, by simultaneously evaluating their overall strength, range, focus and combination, allowing us to identify the universities' strategic profiles based on their KT portfolios. Implications of the findings for key stakeholders include a potential need for government higher education policymakers to take into account the different mixes of university archetypes in a region when considering how best to support higher education and its role in direct and indirect entrepreneurship promotion through regional policy goals.

Knowledge transfer as an essential function of research universities

Problem setting. The features of an innovative society as a new type of social development are considered. The problems of the formation of a research university as a modification of classical universities in the context of modern global challenges are revealed. The main characteristics of research universities are presented. The innovative infrastructure of a research university is analyzed, which integrates the main components of its intellectual activity. The essence and mechanism of knowledge transfer in research universities are revealed. The international experience of knowledge transfer based on research universities is analyzed. Target of research. The purpose of this work is to determine the nature and mechanism of knowledge transfer in research universities. Analysis of recent researches and publications. In modern conditions, the phenomenon of knowledge transfer by the research university is a very important issue, as evidenced by the large number of publications in the modern scientific literature. It should be noted that Ukrainian scientists (V. Antonyuk, L. Antoshkina, I. Bondar, L. Lisogor. I. Kalenyuk, O. Karpenko, S. Katsura, O. Levchenko, V. Limar, V. L. Semiv, etc.) and foreign scientists (T. Takeushi, K. Beylon, G. Itzkowitz, D. Bell, M. Boysot, J. Dunning, W. Keller, F. Mahlup, M. Porat, etc. .). Despite the great attention of prominent scientists to the study of the above problem, some aspects of it still remain undiscovered. Article’s main body. One of the creative components of the national innovation system are universities, which are designed to train highly qualified personnel for the innovation sphere, are actively engaged in research, generation of new knowledge and technologies. The modernization of classical universities resulted in the emergence of research universities. There are three ways to create research universities. The first way is to select a small number of national universities, of the appropriate level and capacity, which are improved through additional budget funding. The second approach is based on the merging of existing universities into one new one, which corresponds to world indicators. The third direction involves the creation of new world-class universities “from scratch”. Generation of new scientific knowledge and educational activities are the two main pillars of the research university. The university, which is based on the concept of the “knowledge triangle”, also carries out a third type of activity related to the production of innovations. The implementation of innovative activities requires a system of its organization. It is called the knowledge transfer system. Knowledge transfer should ensure the transfer of knowledge, including technology, experience and skills, from the university to external customers – enterprises, public and government agencies, leading to innovation in the economy and the public sphere. The category of “knowledge transfer” is a fairly broad category. It includes the transfer of both explicit and implicit knowledge, both commercial and non-commercial activities. Compared to it, “technology transfer” is a narrower category. Conclusions and prospects for the development. For research and knowledge transfer in research universities, an innovative structure is formed, which integrates the four components of his intellectual activity. They are: • education (innovative educational programs); • research and production facilities (business incubator, technology park, laboratories, etc.); • structures that support innovation (offices of transfer and commercialization of innovation results); • structures that provide management of innovation activities and innovation infrastructure. The most important forms of implementation of the institute of knowledge transfer on the basis of research universities are business incubation, technology transfer center (CTT), technology park, research and educational centers (REC), etc.

Putting UK research within reach

Putting UK research within reach

Knowledge management in entrepreneurial universities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and critique the knowledge management (KM) literature within Entrepreneurial universities, providing an overview of the state of research and outlining a future research agenda. Design/methodology/approach In a systematic literature review, 1106 articles indexed at Scopus were initially submitted to a bibliometric analysis. Finally, 150 papers published in a variety of academic journals specializing in the field of Entrepreneurship, KM and Higher Education were analyzed through a content and a bibliometric analysis to minimize mistakes in interpreting findings of collected studies. Findings KM within entrepreneurial university is a research area of growing importance. Findings show that literature on KM models and tools in the entrepreneurial university is fragmented and dominated by unrelated research. Content analysis shows heterogeneous literature, but four major research streams emerge: knowledge transfer in university–industry collaboration; knowledge creation in entrepreneurship education; KM processes for university spin-offs; entrepreneurial university to support knowledge-based regional development. The results show a failure to address the implications of findings for policy makers, which risks making KM in entrepreneurial universities research irrelevant. Research limitations/implications Although different structured literature reviews (SLRs) exist separately in the field of KM and entrepreneurial universities, to the authors’ best knowledge, no studies exist in the intersection between the two fields. Originality/value The paper presents the first attempt to provide a comprehensive SLR of the articles dealing with models and processes of KM in the entrepreneurial university. Despite the increasing literature, this research area is still fragmented and undertheorized, thus requiring more systematic and holistic studies, considering both the economic and the social aspects of KM within universities. The paper’s findings can offer insights into future research avenues.

The role of university Knowledge Transfer Offices: Not just commercialize research outputs!

While there is a prevailing rich body of studies on the role of university knowledge transfer office (KTO) in the commercialization process as part of the Third Mission, research on its role in community engagement activities is relatively neglected, even as funding agencies and policy makers conceive these as instrumental to sustaining social and economic development. This article focuses on the role of university KTO in supporting, facilitating or undertaking Third Mission community engagement activities. Drawing on data from the annual Higher Education Business and Community Interaction survey for the years 2007–2012, this paper empirically explores the relationship between a range of Third Mission activities by university KTO and performance of three key business-community services – provision of consultancy, provision of continuous professional development courses (CPD), and leasing of facilities and equipment (FE). It emerges that the routines of developing strategic plan and creating spin-off are positively associated with all types of community knowledge transfer (CKT) activities. Further, the routines of establishing partnerships with local and regional bodies, and licensing are positively related to CPD and FE, respectively. The article is concluded with implications for theory, practice, policy, and suggestions for future research.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AS ONE OF THE FACTORS OF INCREASING UNIVERSITY COMPETITIVENESS

The paper deals with university knowledge transfer. The adjustment of relations between universities and enterprises makes knowledge transfer a necessary requirement for university development to ensure the implementation of market-oriented educational programs. The paper proposes use of modular competency-based and ontological approaches to ensure the university knowledge transfer. The initial data is presented in the databases of the university, authorized bodies of education and science, enterprises, business structures and professional standards. This data is processed and scanned for knowledge to be put into the knowledge database with technological (informational) and modular competency-based approaches. As part of a market-oriented innovation university concept the task is to improve the education system in relation to skills development. To solve this problem it is necessary to build a distributed information system of university knowledge transfer. It is necessary to create a unified educational space - an educational portal - to ensure the university knowledge transfer between all participants - teachers, students and employers. The study offers an architectural solution for a distributed information system.

Network dynamics of Chinese university knowledge transfer

Social networks are increasingly considered to be influential in explaining the knowledge transfer process. Despite scholarly efforts to integrate knowledge transfer and social network research, we lack understanding on how knowledge transfer networks emerge and evolve. We draw upon resource dependency theory and inter-organizational networks and collect patent data of 42 Double-First Class (DFC) universities to study structural properties of the Chinese university knowledge transfer network over time. Our results point to the existence of an increasingly complex yet remarkably efficient network. Universities and co-patent collaborations emerge in the network and act as knowledge bridges between other universities. The network moves from an early-stage single-centered network to a mature multi-centered network through a power-law pattern. Such movement allows for an aggregation phenomenon to appear as oligopolistic communities emerge and rule the network. While knowledge is more easily shared and accessible within communities, their existence also brings along control over knowledge bases embedded in those communities. Key universities take central positions within the expanding network, which allows them to gain control and easier access to knowledge. It also hints that it might be difficult for other DFC universities to become key players in the network. On an inter-regional level, our findings point to steadily increasing knowledge transfer activity, which is key to overcome the underdevelopment of some Chinese regions. Overall, this paper contributes to our understanding on the theoretical connection between knowledge transfer and social network dynamics, on how universities evolve through knowledge transfer networks, and on how their embeddedness translates into knowledge control, knowledge access, and knowledge bridges.

Experiential Learning for Effective Knowledge Transfer and Mission Achievement

Traditional university mission statements are multifaceted. The majority focus on fundamentals: teaching, research, and service. Most core values are holistic learning, freedom of expression, and openness. However, recent trends appear to embrace a consumerist “transactional approach” emphasizing competitiveness, superiority, self-interest, and quantifiable quality with students as primary customers. At a time when students are demanding value for money, universities must endeavor to balance private interests with traditional universities' values. Hence, consideration of some form of experiential learning and knowledge transfer in universities' mission statements is expected to enrich student learning, add value to society, and also meet the transactional approach requirements. This paper explores theoretical and conceptual approaches to the learning process including theories, models, and perspectives. The United States International University's experience is used as a case study with reference to integrative learning experiences in the General Education (GE) courses, the Collaborative Active Learning Model (CALM) Approach to Learning, and the Global Executive MBA Program, and the knowledge transfer experiences in the GAME Center Living Lab, the Agent Net Work, and the Entrepreneurial Simulation.

UNIVERSITY KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER AND INNOVATION PERFORMANCE IN FIRMS: THE GHANAIAN EXPERIENCE

This paper examines the association between university–industry collaboration and firm innovation performance, and the effect of informal mechanisms of knowledge transfer on such an association, using data from a survey of 245 firms in Ghana and employing partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results are of significant relevance to the business community and policy-makers in Ghana and West African. We find that while university–industry collaboration is positively related to innovation performance in firms, informal mechanisms of university knowledge transfer do not and negatively moderate the positive association between university–industry collaboration and innovation performance in firms. It is also found that to facilitate innovation outcomes, formal, legal binding contracts are required. The study recommends that university knowledge generation and innovation policies in Ghana encourage formal collaboration between knowledge exchange actors. It is also suggested that improvements need to be made to the efficacy of intellectual property legislation in Ghana.

Insights Into University Knowledge Transfer in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) and Other Scientific Disciplines – More Similarities Than Differences

Knowledge transfer from universities to other portions of society is highly relevant in both academia and public policy. However, the focus on high-quality research outputs has forced researchers to concentrate their efforts mainly on ‘science-to-science’ achievements. Knowledge transfer activities are usually reduced to topics that are associated with university-industry collaboration or the exploitation of research results, such as procurement of patents. Achievements in fields characterized by ‘science-to-professionals’ and ‘science-to-public’ knowledge transfer are often not appreciated, but rather evaluated as extraordinary and voluntary contributions. Therefore, these are deemed as not beneficial for progression in academic careers. Furthermore, study of such aspects of knowledge transfer has rarely been conducted. While the reduction of knowledge transfer to profit-oriented indicators should in general be questioned, such an objective is particularly inappropriate in the social sciences and humanities (SSH). In the current study, we explored whether researchers themselves have a differentiated understanding of knowledge transfer and which attitudes towards knowledge transfer can be described. We also investigated motivators and obstacles associated with knowledge transfer itself. To analyze differences between the SSH and other scientific disciplines, we compared SSH researchers with those of other fields. Our sample consisted of 283 participants from 18 different Austrian universities. Results indicate that researchers possess a comprehensive understanding of knowledge transfer that is closely related to science-to-public and science-to-professionals disciplines, as well as university instruction. Importantly, issues regarding the exploitation of research results were questioned and motivators were linked to moral rather than economic issues. Within the scientific community, knowledge transfer is insufficiently appreciated and is not beneficial for progress in an academic career. As such, researchers are hindered in participating in knowledge transfer activities. Differences between SSH and non-SSH researchers were noted in several evaluated categories, but were mainly small in effect size. Both subsamples answered consistently along the same trend, indicating that the differences are smaller than we hypothesized. Our findings are critically discussed, and implications are extrapolated.