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Strategic choice in universities: Managerial agency and effective technology transfer

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  • Horner, Sam
  • Jayawarna, Dilani
  • Giordano, Benito
  • Jones, Oswald

Abstract

Current theorising about the contingencies underpinning the effectiveness of university technology transfer has emphasised the importance of organisational support, namely the scale of Technology Transfer Office (TTO) support and the provision of incentives. Empirical results pertaining to the effects of these organisational supports are mixed. More recently, academic research and policy reviews have highlighted the potential significance of the strategic choices made by university managers in contributing to the effectiveness of technology transfer activity. Our research attempts to reconcile these two streams of technology transfer research by drawing on Child’s strategic choice theory as an integrating framework. Through operationalising a strategic choice framework and drawing upon data from 115 UK universities (collected through multiple waves of the HE-BCI Survey), this research shows that supporting organisational infrastructure is necessary but not sufficient to account for improved technology transfer effectiveness. Specifically, it highlights the key mediating role of strategic choice, suggesting that it is the alignment between strategic choices made by university managers and the supporting organisational infrastructure that accounts for variations in technology transfer effectiveness. Furthermore, we find the mediation relationship between strategic alignment and technology transfer effectiveness is moderated by the breadth of strategic planning efforts, with those universities that engage a wider number of faculty in strategic planning efforts benefiting most from the alignment between strategic choices and supporting organisational infrastructure.

Suggested Citation

  • Horner, Sam & Jayawarna, Dilani & Giordano, Benito & Jones, Oswald, 2019. "Strategic choice in universities: Managerial agency and effective technology transfer," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(5), pages 1297-1309.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:respol:v:48:y:2019:i:5:p:1297-1309
    DOI: 10.1016/j.respol.2019.01.015
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    7. Modic, Dolores & Suklan, Jana, 2023. "Intellectual property coordinators' cohorts: A study into the imprints in university technology transfer," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(8).
    8. Sengupta, Abhijit & Rossi, Federica, 2023. "The relationship between universities' funding portfolios and their knowledge exchange profiles: A dynamic capabilities view," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    9. Uwe Cantner & Philip Doerr & Maximilian Goethner & Matthias Huegel & Martin Kalthaus, 2024. "A procedural perspective on academic spin-off creation: the changing relative importance of the academic and the commercial sphere," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 62(4), pages 1555-1590, April.
    10. Kadigia Faccin & Christle Beer & Bibiana Volkmer Martins & Grabriela Zanandrea & Neta Kela & Corne Schutte, 2022. "What really matters for TTOs efficiency? An analysis of TTOs in developed and developing economies," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(4), pages 1135-1161, August.
    11. Zhenxu Guo & Jiarui Shen & Lihong Li, 2024. "Identifying the implementation effect of technology transfer policy using system dynamics: a case study in Liaoning, China," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 49(2), pages 660-688, April.
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    14. Paget, Nicolas & Le Gal, Pierre-Yves & Goulet, Frédéric, 2024. "Motivations and challenges of intrapreneurship in research organizations. The case of decision support systems in agricultural research for development," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    15. Subramanian, Annapoornima M. & Nishant, Rohit & Van De Vrande, Vareska & Hang, Chang Chieh, 2022. "Technology transfer from public research institutes to SMEs: A configurational approach to studying reverse knowledge flow benefits," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(10).
    16. Ma, Ding & Cai, Zhishan & Zhu, Chengkai, 2022. "Technology transfer efficiency of universities in China: A three-stage framework based on the dynamic network slacks-based measurement model," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    17. Samira Yusef Araújo Falani Bezerra & Ana Lúcia Vitale Torkomian, 2024. "Technology Transfer Offices: a Systematic Review of the Literature and Future Perspective," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 15(1), pages 4455-4488, March.
    18. Shaopeng Zhang & Xiaohong Wang, 2022. "Effects of Local Government Behavior on University–Enterprise Knowledge Flow: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-16, September.

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