Organizational Enablers to the Governance of Collaborative University-Industry R&D Programs

Governance has a significant impact on the success of programs and projects. However, governance of collaborative university-industry projects and programs in literature, is a rather scarce topic. Based on an ethnographic study of a large university-industry collaboration, this paper proposes a conceptual framework of Organizational Enablers (OEs) to improve the governance of collaborative university-industry R&D programs. An exploratory research was carried out, aiming to learn from the experience of program and project managers and other program stakeholders of the case under study. Qualitative data was collected using participant observation and document analysis. The framework highlights nine OEs: ‘Established governance policies and values’, ‘Formal Governance support structures’, ‘Flexible organization structures’, ‘Standardization of program and project management practices’, ‘Different management approaches to fit the project needs’, ‘Clearly defined roles and responsibilities’, ‘Different means of communication and interaction’, ‘Top management Support’ and ‘Projects strategic alignment within the industry and university roadmaps’.

[1]  Jan vom Brocke,et al.  Managing collaborative research projects: A synthesis of project management literature and directives for future research , 2015 .

[2]  Denisa Mindruta,et al.  Value Creation in University-Firm Research Collaborations: A Matching Approach , 2008 .

[3]  R. Müller,et al.  Relationships Between a Project Management Methodology and Project Success in Different Project Governance Contexts , 2015, Project Management Methodologies, Governance and Success.

[4]  I. Ali,et al.  Project governance, benefit management, and project success: Towards a framework for supporting organizational strategy implementation , 2017 .

[5]  Sofia Pemsel,et al.  Organizational enablers for governance and governmentality of projects: A literature review , 2014 .

[6]  M. Perkmann,et al.  Engaging Excellence? Effects of Faculty Quality on University Engagement with Industry , 2010 .

[7]  Dov Dvir,et al.  An Alternative Taxonomy of Project Management Structures: Linking Project Management Structures and Project Success , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.

[8]  D. Ribeiro-Soriano,et al.  University–industry partnerships for the provision of R&D services , 2015 .

[9]  R. Müller,et al.  A theory framework for balancing vertical and horizontal leadership in projects , 2018 .

[10]  Susan Peterson,et al.  Consortia partnerships: linking industry and academia , 1995 .

[11]  S. Maitlis,et al.  Triggers And Enablers Of Sensegiving In Organizations , 2007 .

[12]  A. Salter,et al.  Academic Engagement and Commercialisation: A Review of the Literature on University-Industry Relations , 2012 .

[13]  R. Müller,et al.  The Relationship Between Project Governance and Project Success , 2016, Project Management Methodologies, Governance and Success.

[14]  Peerasit Patanakul,et al.  Managing large-scale IS/IT projects in the public sector: Problems and causes leading to poor performance , 2014 .

[15]  A. Wald,et al.  A Bibliometric View on the Use of Contingency Theory in Project Management Research , 2012 .

[16]  Ralf Wilden,et al.  Multi-level project governance: Trends and opportunities , 2014 .

[17]  Ricardo J. Machado,et al.  A Conceptual Social Media Tool for Supporting Collaborative University-Industry R&D Programs , 2018, 2018 IEEE International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC).

[18]  Y. Lee.  The Sustainability of University-Industry Research Collaboration: An Empirical Assessment , 2000 .

[19]  Magnus Mähring.  IT project governance , 2002 .

[20]  Marcel Veenswijk,et al.  Managing public–private megaprojects: Paradoxes, complexity, and project design , 2008 .

[21]  R. Derakhshan,et al.  Evolution of Governance in a Collaborative University–Industry Program , 2020 .

[22]  Pascale G. Quester,et al.  Key drivers of university‐industry relationships: the role of organisational compatibility and personal experience , 2007 .

[23]  Ofer Zwikael,et al.  What impacts the performance of large-scale government projects? , 2016 .

[24]  Lars Lindkvist,et al.  Governing Project-based Firms: Promoting Market-like Processes within Hierarchies , 2004 .

[25]  Ricardo J. Machado,et al.  Planning benefits realization in a collaborative university-industry R&D funded program , 2017, 2017 International Conference on Engineering, Technology and Innovation (ICE/ITMC).

[26]  Sergio Pellegrinelli,et al.  What’s in a name: Project or programme? , 2011 .

[27]  V. Pavlicevic,et al.  ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF UNIVERSITY-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION , 2016 .

[28]  Lynda M. Baker,et al.  Observation: A Complex Research Method , 2006, Libr. Trends.

[29]  Thomas Baaken,et al.  University–Industry Linkage Evolution: An Empirical Investigation of Relational Success Factors , 2013 .

[30]  T. Davey,et al.  The UBC ecosystem: putting together a comprehensive framework for university-business cooperation , 2019 .

[31]  Witold J. Henisz,et al.  Toward a unified theory of project governance: economic, sociological and psychological supports for relational contracting , 2012, Public–Private Partnerships for Infrastructure Development.

[32]  Sofia Pemsel,et al.  Organizational Enablers for Project Governance and Governmentality in Project-based Organizations , 2015 .

[33]  A. Salter,et al.  Investigating the factors that diminish the barriers to university–industry collaboration , 2009 .

[34]  A. Scandura.  University–industry collaboration and firms’ R&D effort , 2016 .

[35]  Ricardo J. Machado,et al.  Project Management Practices for Collaborative University-Industry R&D: A Hybrid Approach , 2018, CENTERIS/ProjMAN/HCist.

[36]  Joyce Fortune,et al.  Framing of project critical success factors by a systems model , 2006 .

[37]  O. P. L. C. Y. D. Económicos.  The OECD Principles of Corporate Governance , 2005 .

[38]  S. Ankrah,et al.  Universities-Industry Collaboration: A Systematic Review , 2015 .

[39]  Ricardo J. Machado,et al.  The roles of a Programme and Project Management Office to support collaborative university–industry R&D , 2020 .

[40]  K. Artto,et al.  A new governance approach for multi-firm projects: Lessons from Olkiluoto 3 and Flamanville 3 nuclear power plant projects , 2011 .

[41]  M. Perkmann,et al.  University Industry Relationships and Open Innovation: Towards a Research Agenda , 2007 .

[42]  Rna Rudi Bekkers,et al.  Governance and success of university-industry collaborations on the basis of Ph.D. projects: an explorative study , 2013 .

[43]  Vilmos F. Misangyi,et al.  Ending Corruption: The Interplay Among Institutional Logics, Resources, and Institutional Entrepreneurs , 2008 .

[44]  W. Scott,et al.  Institutional exceptions on global projects: a process model , 2008 .

[45]  Eduardo B. Pinto,et al.  Value of project management in university–industry R&D collaborations , 2020, International Journal of Managing Projects in Business.

[46]  Alan Gibbons,et al.  Managing collaborative R&D projects development of a practical management tool , 2006 .

[47]  Petr Hanel,et al.  Industry–University Collaboration by Canadian Manufacturing Firms* , 2006 .

[48]  Ricardo J. Machado,et al.  A Program and Project Management Approach for Collaborative University-industry R&D Funded Contracts , 2015, CENTERIS/ProjMAN/HCist.

[49]  A. Badewi.  The impact of project management (PM) and benefits management (BM) practices on project success: Towards developing a project benefits governance framework , 2016 .