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Academic engagement as knowledge co-production and implications for impact: Evidence from Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

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  • Rossi, Federica
  • Rosli, Ainurul
  • Yip, Nick

Abstract

Researchers have argued that management academics' engagement with non-academic stakeholders involves knowledge co-production rather than simple knowledge transfer from the former to the latter. This study suggests that the conceptual lens of knowledge co-production not only more fittingly describes academic engagement but also enables a clearer understanding of how academic engagement produces impact beyond academia. Building upon qualitative evidence on collaborations between management academics and businesses in the United Kingdom, the study supports the characterisation of academic engagement as knowledge co-production and argues that its impact (i) strongly depends on sustained knowledge co-producing interactions, (ii) ‘ripples out’ serendipitously, indirectly benefiting many stakeholders in ways that often cannot be anticipated, and (iii) unfolds and persists over a long period. These findings have implications for impact assessment and the development of the impact research agenda.

Suggested Citation

  • Rossi, Federica & Rosli, Ainurul & Yip, Nick, 2017. "Academic engagement as knowledge co-production and implications for impact: Evidence from Knowledge Transfer Partnerships," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 1-9.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:80:y:2017:i:c:p:1-9
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.06.019
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    3. De Silva, Muthu & Rossi, Federica & Yip, Nick K.T. & Rosli, Ainurul, 2021. "Does affective evaluation matter for the success of university-industry collaborations? A sentiment analysis of university-industry collaborative project reports," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
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    5. Cristina Bianca Pocol & Liana Stanca & Dan-Cristian Dabija & Veronica Câmpian & Sergiu Mișcoiu & Ioana Delia Pop, 2023. "A QCA Analysis of Knowledge Co-Creation Based on University–Industry Relationships," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-19, January.
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    7. S. A. M. Dolmans & B. Walrave & S. Read & N. Stijn, 2022. "Knowledge transfer to industry: how academic researchers learn to become boundary spanners during academic engagement," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 1422-1450, October.
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    9. Kati Suomi & Päivikki Kuoppakangas & Jari Stenvall & Elias Pekkola & Jussi Kivistö, 2019. "Revisiting “the shotgun wedding of industry and academia”—empirical evidence from Finland," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 16(1), pages 81-102, March.
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    11. Rossi, Federica & Sengupta, Abhijit, 2022. "Implementing strategic changes in universities’ knowledge exchange profiles: The role and nature of managerial interventions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 874-887.

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