Examining partner experience in cross-sector collaborative projects focused on the commercialization of R&D
Paul K Couchman
Department of Management, Griffith Business School, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport QLD
Liz Fulop
Department of Management, Griffith Business School, Gold Coast Campus, Griffith University, Southport QLD
PP: 85
Abstract
The paper reports key findings from a four year study of cross-sector collaborative R&D projects in Australia testing a theoretical model formulated to explain partner collaboration experience and perceived project success.
The study contributes to the understanding of knowledge-intensive collaborations, and indicates how their benefits can be sustained under conditions of high uncertainty. The study was of cross-sector collaborative projects within the Australian Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program which involved multiple partners and which were focused on the commercialization of R&D. The model was empirically tested through a survey of project leaders and the results provided support for the three main effects hypothesized.
The theoretical, methodological and practical implications of the study's findings for the field of interorganizational relations (IOR) are discussed, and a new construct of project management competence is proposed as a determinant of positive partner experiences at the project level.
This study adds to the growing body of work on interorganizational collaborative arrangements by providing systematic empirical support for a theoretical model of cross-sector R&D collaboration at the project level and at the completion or near completion phase of project development.
Acknowledgements
The authors of this paper would like to gratefully acknowledge the expert assistance provided to us for the initial PLS Graph analysis of our survey data by Leonie Miller and Peter Caputi of the Department of Psychology at the University of Wollongong. We would also like to acknowledge that the research on which the paper was based was funded by an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Grant. We wish to sincerely thank all reviewers for their very helpful and insightful comments.
Keywords
cross-sector R&D collaboration, commercialization, relational trust, project management competence, partner experience, project success
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