The dynamics of trust and control in the governance of university-firm R&D alliances for NPD in a developing economy | |
| Author | Somchai Ruangpermpool |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.SM-19-09 |
| Subject(s) | Corporate governance Cooperative industrial research |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Technology Management |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | R&D alliances between universities and industry have become of increasing interest to national policies that aim at promoting research commercialization and innovation in . . emerging economies. However, differences in management objectives, goals, approaches, and culture between the firm and university frequently create great challenges that restrain a strong understanding between university-firm alliance partners, making such alliances more challenging especially in developing economies that usually have a weak and fragmented national innovation system. Past research confirmed that productive alliance management substantially contributes to the achievements of an inter-organizational alliance. Managing collaboration between partners of such different sectors requires special attention to good governance, including both options of formal and informal governance mechanisms. This study examines the governance of a university-firm R&D alliance in Thailand with a focus on the dynamic interaction between trust and control. In this alliance case, the partners used both formal and informal governance control mechanisms to alleviate the collaboration challenges encountered during product prototype development and commercialization phases. This study uses a single longitudinal case research approach to explore in-depth the contribution of different governance mechanisms that supported the formation and successful outcome of several R&D partnerships between a university and one firm. The four teams of R&D collaboration projects executed by this university-firm alliance over a period of seven years were examined, which included both cases of commercial success and failure. A retrospective data collection about seven years of the four R&D collaboration projects was made possible through numerous rounds of interviews with representatives of both alliance partners. Additional observations during participation in formal meetings of ongoing R&D alliance projects and analysis of project documents complemented the interviews. The findings support that informal and formal control mechanisms were complementary forms of the alliance's governance and that the informal control intentions of both partners framed whether the formal control was understood as a guideline that leads to commitment. Moreover, the findings suggest that social control mechanisms and trust building efforts through communicating shared goals among research team members are required in parallel to the control achieved through a well monitored original contract. These research findings have important implications. At the policy level, the central suggestion for universities is the essence of engaging partners from industry early on in the R&D collaboration process. This study suggests that university research policy should target specific, less difficult preparatory projects such as training activities that allow both firm and university to gain a mutual understanding and develop congruent goals before engaging in significant R&D collaboration activities to lessen anticipation and tension between the partners. Finally, this study suggests that research commercialization through university-industry alliances requires sufficient time for the development of governance mechanisms to integrate both trust and control and that therefore, policymakers should allow for longer time horizons before evaluating the outcome of such research alliances. |
| Year | 2019 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Doctor of Philosophy in Management of Technology (Publication code = SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Igel, Barbara ; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Sununta Siengthai;Chotchai Charoenngam;Badir, Yuosre; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | National Science and Technology Development Agency; |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2019 |