The commercialization of academic outputs in the administrative sciences: A multiple‐case study in a university‐based business school
| Author | Nicolas Pinget,Anne Mesny,Chantale Mailhot |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1002/cjas.1331 |
| Published date | 01 December 2016 |
| Date | 01 December 2016 |
The commercialization of academic outputs in the
administrative sciences: A multiple-case study in
a university-based business school
Anne Mesny*
HEC Montréal
Nicolas Pinget
UNIVALOR
Chantale Mailhot
HEC Montréal
Abstract
Technology transfer, and its focus on research commerciali-
zation, is gaining popularity in all academic fields as a way
to better demonstrate universities’external impacts. We
conducted a multiple case-study of three commercialization
projects in Organizational Development, Information Tech-
nology, and Marketing, which took place in a university
business school. We explored to what extent the technology
transfer model of commercializing academic outputs could
apply in business schools. We also examined its potential
value compared to other ways of sharing academic expertise.
Although the technology transfer approach appears to work,
the three projects exhibited crucial characteristics that
markedly differ from traditional technology transfer. Com-
pared to other formsof knowledge uses, what makes research
commercialization so attractive is that it is readily observable
and traceable. However, it raisessome fundamental questions
about knowledge production and its use. Copyright © 2015
ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Keywords: research commercialization, technology trans-
fer, knowledge use, external impacts of academic knowl-
edge, multiple case-study
Résumé
Le transfert technologique, et son accent sur la commer-
cialisation de la recherche, gagne en popularité dans tous
les domaines académiques. En effet, il permet de mieuxmettre
en évidence les impacts externes des universités. Nous avons
mené une étude de cas multiples sur trois projets de
valorisation–en Développement organisationnel, en Technol-
ogies de l’informationet en Marketing –au sein d’une école de
gestion universit aire. L’objectif était d’explorer dans quelle
mesure cette façon de commercialiser les résultats
académiques pouvait s’appliquer dans notre champ et quelle
est sa valeur potentielle par rap port à d’autres façons de
partager l’expertise académique. Bien que l’approche du
transfert technologique semble avoir fonctionné, les trois
projets présentent des caractéristiques importantes qui diffèrent
manifestement d’un transfert technologique traditionnel. Par
rapport à d’autres formes d’utilisation des savoirs, ce qui rend
la commercialisation de la recherche séduisante est la
visibilité ou la traçabilité du processus. Cependant, cette
particularitésoulève des questions fondamentales concernant
la production et l’utilisation des connaissances. Copyright ©
2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mots-clés : commercialisation de la recherche, transfert
technologique, utilisation des connaissances, impacts ex-
ternes des savoirs académiques, étude de cas multiples
Universities in most industrialized countries are unde r
pressure to increase their external impact and to directly con-
tribute to economic growth and prosperity by tur ning academic
outputs into useful innovations (Radder, 2010). In recent de-
cades, there has been a rise in university technology transfer
and commercialization via licensing agreements,joint research
ventures, and university start-ups. Potential benefits include fi-
nancial gainsfor the university, additional sponsored research,
recruitmentand retention of faculty,graduate students, andjob
creation (Libecap, 2009; Lockett, Kerr, & Robinson, 2008).
Following the US’lead, universities around the world
have created technology transfer offices (TTOs) that are re-
sponsible for commercializing research from public research
organizations,as well as encouraging researchersto contribute
*Please address correspondence to: Anne Mesny, HEC Montreal, Depart-
ment of Management, 3000 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montréal,
Québec, H3T 2A7 Canada. Email: anne.mesny@hec.ca
Canadian Journal of Administrative Sciences
Revue canadienne des sciences de l’administration
33: 290–303 (2016)
Published online 22 June 2015 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/CJAS.1331
Can J Adm Sci
33(4), 290–303 (2016)Copyright © 2015 ASAC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 290
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