Academic Engagement: A Review of the Literature 2011-2019

Abstract

We provide a systematic review of the literature on academic engagement from 2011 onwards, which was the cutoff year of a previous review article published in Research Policy. Academic engagement refers to knowledge-related interactions of academic scientists with external organisations. It includes activities such as collaborative research with industry, contract research, consulting and informal ties. We consolidate what is known about the individual, organisational and institutional antecedents of academic engagement, and its consequences for research, commercialisation, and society at large. Our results suggest that individual characteristics associated with academic engagement include being scientifically productive, senior, male, locally trained, and commercially experienced. Academic engagement is also socially conditioned by peer effects and disciplinary characteristics. In terms of consequences, academic engagement is positively associated with academics' subsequent scientific productivity. We propose new areas of investigation where evidence remains inconclusive, including individual life cycle effects, the role of organisational contexts and incentives, cross-national comparisons, and the impact of academic engagement on the quality of subsequent research as well as the educational, commercial and society-wide impact.

A theory-driven model of the spin-off creation process: A Social Information Processing perspective

“…The decision about the keywords was critical because of the historical ambiguity affecting the field on the definition of entrepreneurial behaviour (Gartner, 1988) and the disputes about what should be considered entrepreneurial behaviour in academic entrepreneurship (Ndonzuau, Pirnay & Surlemont 2002;Perkman, Salandra, Tartari, McKelvey & Hughes, 2019).…”

The quality of inter-organizational relations and the intention of commercialization of knowledge by academic entrepreneurs – a theoretical approach and outline of research

“…The literature on the subject shows the positive effects of high-quality inter-organisational relations, i.e. the results of cooperation 19 , the expected length of cooperation 20 ; willingness to recommend 21 , rarer opportunistic behaviour 22 , and the impact on future intentions to maintain relationships 23 . Such positive effects of high-quality relationships can also be seen in the context of cooperation between academic entrepreneurs and institutions supporting them.…”

“…• good relations of scientists with special units at their universities, such as research centres, have a positive impact on their involvement in entrepreneurship 24 ; • the importance of supporting academic entrepreneurs from universities and faculties 25 as well as technology transfer centres in commercializing research results 26 ; • the presence of a formal relationship in technology transfer mechanisms is generally positively related to commercialization 27 ; • there may be a temporal relationship between involvement and commercialization, in the sense that earlier involvement of scientists in cooperation with industry can subsequently lead to commercial production 28 .…”

Developing a Framework to Explore Local Researchers’ Engagement with Global Academia: The Case of Vietnamese Social Sciences Scholars

“…While a growing body of research has largely addressed academic engagement (Perkmann, Salandra, Tartari, McKelvey, & Hughes, 2021), it is an underexplored area in developing countries such as Vietnam. Academic engagement (AE), in a broad sense, is conceptualised as "knowledge-related interactions" among researchers with non-academic organisations.…”

“…Thus, the work of social science academics and scholars is very significant for the development of society and the engagement of researchers in the society and amongst themselves is essential for their research capacity development. However, research evidence from AE in the area of social sciences is inconclusive or limited (see the review in Perkmann et al, 2021). Furthermore, social sciences in Vietnam are somewhat left behind its counterparts in developed countries and Vietnamese social scientists are still underrepresented nationally and internationally (Hoang, 2021).…”