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KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?

Bo Wen Orcid Logo, Jocelyn Finniear Orcid Logo, Matthew Tucker Orcid Logo, Guoqing Zhao Orcid Logo

Proceedings of the 26th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Volume: 26, Issue: 2, Pages: 1085 - 1094

Swansea University Authors: Bo Wen Orcid Logo, Jocelyn Finniear Orcid Logo, Guoqing Zhao Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.34190/eckm.26.2.3679

Abstract

In University-industry collaborations, boundary spanners play a key role in knowledge transfer between different individuals. Management Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (mKTPs) are significant university-industry collaborations in the UK, however, limited scholarly attention has been given to their...

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Published in: Proceedings of the 26th European Conference on Knowledge Management
ISBN: 978-1-917204-49-1 978-1-917204-50-7
ISSN: 2048-8963 2048-8971
Published: Academic Conferences International Ltd 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa70244
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Management Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (mKTPs) are significant university-industry collaborations in the UK, however, limited scholarly attention has been given to their boundary spanners. This paper aims to explore this role in knowledge transfer in university-industry collaborations. Thirty respondents from four groups of KTP actors involved in mKTPs were interviewed: eleven academics, nine business supervisors, seven KTP associates and three KTP advisors. Using Gouldner&#x2019;s framework of Locals and Cosmopolitans, this study identifies four distinct boundary spanner roles that KTP associates play in knowledge transfer: the dedicated facilitator, true bureaucrat (change controller), empire (career) builder and outsider. The dedicated KTP associates recognise the knowledge and individuals within the host organisations, perceiving themselves as essential boundary spanners in knowledge transfer between universities and businesses. In contrast, some KTP associates describe themselves as outsider, isolated from host companies, thereby disengaging in knowledge transfer. The true bureaucrat (change controller) and empire builder present contingent boundary-spanning roles, with their engagement in knowledge transfer being context-dependent. When provided with sufficient support from academic and business supervisors, such as leadership and opportunities for individual career growth, KTP associates are committed to the current boundary-spanning roles of mKTPs, thereby engaging in knowledge transfer, similar to the dedicated facilitator (a positive dynamic). Conversely, in the absence of such support, they will disengage or selectively transfer knowledge, gradually becoming outsiders of mKTPs, obstructing knowledge transfer (a negative dynamic). The identified four roles and their dynamics have demonstrated different influences on knowledge transfer: facilitation, hindrance or contingent context-dependency. Based on these findings, this paper develops a conceptual framework that offers novel insights into boundary spanners by revealing a multifaceted, dynamic, context-dependent nature in knowledge transfer. 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spelling 2025-10-27T11:43:32.6912217 v2 70244 2025-08-30 KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects? eaba06eb627d37047139753baf26f55b 0000-0001-5239-9971 Bo Wen Bo Wen true false b1c03f8383623d16dd5badcc6ea59b66 0000-0001-5453-7493 Jocelyn Finniear Jocelyn Finniear true false 2ff29aa347835abe2af6d98fa89064b4 0009-0003-9537-9016 Guoqing Zhao Guoqing Zhao true false 2025-08-30 CBAE In University-industry collaborations, boundary spanners play a key role in knowledge transfer between different individuals. Management Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (mKTPs) are significant university-industry collaborations in the UK, however, limited scholarly attention has been given to their boundary spanners. This paper aims to explore this role in knowledge transfer in university-industry collaborations. Thirty respondents from four groups of KTP actors involved in mKTPs were interviewed: eleven academics, nine business supervisors, seven KTP associates and three KTP advisors. Using Gouldner’s framework of Locals and Cosmopolitans, this study identifies four distinct boundary spanner roles that KTP associates play in knowledge transfer: the dedicated facilitator, true bureaucrat (change controller), empire (career) builder and outsider. The dedicated KTP associates recognise the knowledge and individuals within the host organisations, perceiving themselves as essential boundary spanners in knowledge transfer between universities and businesses. In contrast, some KTP associates describe themselves as outsider, isolated from host companies, thereby disengaging in knowledge transfer. The true bureaucrat (change controller) and empire builder present contingent boundary-spanning roles, with their engagement in knowledge transfer being context-dependent. When provided with sufficient support from academic and business supervisors, such as leadership and opportunities for individual career growth, KTP associates are committed to the current boundary-spanning roles of mKTPs, thereby engaging in knowledge transfer, similar to the dedicated facilitator (a positive dynamic). Conversely, in the absence of such support, they will disengage or selectively transfer knowledge, gradually becoming outsiders of mKTPs, obstructing knowledge transfer (a negative dynamic). The identified four roles and their dynamics have demonstrated different influences on knowledge transfer: facilitation, hindrance or contingent context-dependency. Based on these findings, this paper develops a conceptual framework that offers novel insights into boundary spanners by revealing a multifaceted, dynamic, context-dependent nature in knowledge transfer. The paper offers important implications for research on boundary spanners and university-industry collaborations. Conference Paper/Proceeding/Abstract Proceedings of the 26th European Conference on Knowledge Management 26 2 1085 1094 Academic Conferences International Ltd 978-1-917204-49-1 978-1-917204-50-7 2048-8963 2048-8971 KTP associates, Boundary spanner, University-industry collaborations, KTPs, Knowledge transfer (KT) 29 8 2025 2025-08-29 10.34190/eckm.26.2.3679 COLLEGE NANME Management School COLLEGE CODE CBAE Swansea University Not Required 2025-10-27T11:43:32.6912217 2025-08-30T14:17:53.8454061 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Management - Human Resource Management Bo Wen 0000-0001-5239-9971 1 Jocelyn Finniear 0000-0001-5453-7493 2 Matthew Tucker 0000-0003-0363-5573 3 Guoqing Zhao 0009-0003-9537-9016 4 70244__35182__23271d0698674742a2dcdda2825af41c.pdf 70244.VoR.pdf 2025-09-26T12:11:49.2923188 Output 1188810 application/pdf Version of Record true Copyright (c) 2025 European Conference on Knowledge Management. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. true eng https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
title KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
spellingShingle KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
Bo Wen
Jocelyn Finniear
Guoqing Zhao
title_short KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
title_full KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
title_fullStr KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
title_full_unstemmed KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
title_sort KTP Associates: Facilitators and Hindrances of Knowledge Transfer for University and Industry Collaboration Projects?
author_id_str_mv eaba06eb627d37047139753baf26f55b
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author_id_fullname_str_mv eaba06eb627d37047139753baf26f55b_***_Bo Wen
b1c03f8383623d16dd5badcc6ea59b66_***_Jocelyn Finniear
2ff29aa347835abe2af6d98fa89064b4_***_Guoqing Zhao
author Bo Wen
Jocelyn Finniear
Guoqing Zhao
author2 Bo Wen
Jocelyn Finniear
Matthew Tucker
Guoqing Zhao
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publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
isbn 978-1-917204-49-1
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doi_str_mv 10.34190/eckm.26.2.3679
publisher Academic Conferences International Ltd
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Management - Human Resource Management{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Management - Human Resource Management
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description In University-industry collaborations, boundary spanners play a key role in knowledge transfer between different individuals. Management Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (mKTPs) are significant university-industry collaborations in the UK, however, limited scholarly attention has been given to their boundary spanners. This paper aims to explore this role in knowledge transfer in university-industry collaborations. Thirty respondents from four groups of KTP actors involved in mKTPs were interviewed: eleven academics, nine business supervisors, seven KTP associates and three KTP advisors. Using Gouldner’s framework of Locals and Cosmopolitans, this study identifies four distinct boundary spanner roles that KTP associates play in knowledge transfer: the dedicated facilitator, true bureaucrat (change controller), empire (career) builder and outsider. The dedicated KTP associates recognise the knowledge and individuals within the host organisations, perceiving themselves as essential boundary spanners in knowledge transfer between universities and businesses. In contrast, some KTP associates describe themselves as outsider, isolated from host companies, thereby disengaging in knowledge transfer. The true bureaucrat (change controller) and empire builder present contingent boundary-spanning roles, with their engagement in knowledge transfer being context-dependent. When provided with sufficient support from academic and business supervisors, such as leadership and opportunities for individual career growth, KTP associates are committed to the current boundary-spanning roles of mKTPs, thereby engaging in knowledge transfer, similar to the dedicated facilitator (a positive dynamic). Conversely, in the absence of such support, they will disengage or selectively transfer knowledge, gradually becoming outsiders of mKTPs, obstructing knowledge transfer (a negative dynamic). The identified four roles and their dynamics have demonstrated different influences on knowledge transfer: facilitation, hindrance or contingent context-dependency. Based on these findings, this paper develops a conceptual framework that offers novel insights into boundary spanners by revealing a multifaceted, dynamic, context-dependent nature in knowledge transfer. The paper offers important implications for research on boundary spanners and university-industry collaborations.
published_date 2025-08-29T05:30:22Z
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