TY - JOUR
T1 - Toward a model of the effective transfer of scientific knowledge from academicians to practitioners
T2 - Qualitative evidence from the commercialization of university technologies
AU - Siegel, Donald
AU - Waldman, David
AU - Atwater, Leanne E.
AU - Link, Albert N.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Stephen Green, Nicholas Argyres, Susan Helper, Adam Jaffe, and Julia Liebeskind, and three anonymous referees for their insightful comments and suggestions. We are also deeply indebted to the many administrators, scientists, managers, and entrepreneurs who agreed to be interviewed. Martha Cobb and Melissa Zidle provided capable research assistance. Financial support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the NBER is gratefully acknowledged.
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - A new organizational entity has emerged at research universities: the technology transfer office (TTO). TTOs were established to facilitate commercial knowledge transfers from universities to practitioners or university/industry technology transfer (UITT). Despite the potential importance of UITT in fostering technological diffusion and as a source of revenue to the university, there has been little systematic analysis of the role of organizational practices in this process. Thus, we rely on an inductive, qualitative approach to identify the key organizational issues in promoting successful knowledge transfers. Based on 55 structured interviews of 98 UITT stakeholders associated with five US research universities, we conclude that there are numerous impediments to effectiveness in UITT: cultural and informational barriers among the three key stakeholder types (university administrators, academics, and firms/entrepreneurs), TTO staffing and compensation practices, and inadequate rewards for faculty involvement in UITT. Two somewhat surprising results are that many faculty members have decided to circumvent the formal UITT process and that involvement in UITT may actually increase the quantity and quality of basic research.
AB - A new organizational entity has emerged at research universities: the technology transfer office (TTO). TTOs were established to facilitate commercial knowledge transfers from universities to practitioners or university/industry technology transfer (UITT). Despite the potential importance of UITT in fostering technological diffusion and as a source of revenue to the university, there has been little systematic analysis of the role of organizational practices in this process. Thus, we rely on an inductive, qualitative approach to identify the key organizational issues in promoting successful knowledge transfers. Based on 55 structured interviews of 98 UITT stakeholders associated with five US research universities, we conclude that there are numerous impediments to effectiveness in UITT: cultural and informational barriers among the three key stakeholder types (university administrators, academics, and firms/entrepreneurs), TTO staffing and compensation practices, and inadequate rewards for faculty involvement in UITT. Two somewhat surprising results are that many faculty members have decided to circumvent the formal UITT process and that involvement in UITT may actually increase the quantity and quality of basic research.
KW - Boundary spanning
KW - Technology transfer offices (TTOs)
KW - University/industry technology transfer (UITT)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=1542425111&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=1542425111&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2003.12.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2003.12.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:1542425111
SN - 0923-4748
VL - 21
SP - 115
EP - 142
JO - Journal of Engineering and Technology Management - JET-M
JF - Journal of Engineering and Technology Management - JET-M
IS - 1-2
ER -