Knowledge creation through collaboration: The role of shared institutional affiliations and physical proximity

Abstract

This paper examines how shared affiliations within an institution (e.g., same primary appointment, same secondary appointment, same research center, same laboratory/facility) and physical proximity (e.g., walking distance between collaborator offices) shape knowledge creation through biomedical science collaboration in general, and interdisciplinary collaboration in particular. Using archival and publication data, we examine pairwise research collaborations among 1,138 faculty members over a 12-year period at a medical school in the United States. Modeling at the dyadic level, we find that faculty members with more shared institutional affiliations are positively associated with knowledge creation and knowledge impact, and that this association is moderated by the physical proximity of collaborators. We further find that the positive influence of disciplinary diversity (e.g., collaborators from different fields) on knowledge impact is stronger among pairs that share more affiliations and is significantly reduced as the physical distance among collaborators increases. These results support the idea that shared institutional affiliations and physical proximity can increase interpersonal contact, providing more opportunities to develop trust and mutual understanding, and thus alleviating some of the coordination issues that can arise with higher disciplinary diversity. We discuss the implications for future research on scientific collaborations, managerial practice regarding office space allocation, and strategic planning of initiatives aimed at promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.

Understanding the Bibliometric Patterns of Publications in IEEE Access

“…As indicated by the colors, four major clusters can be identified here. The higher degree of collaboration between authors of the same institutional affiliation is already well documented [53] and attributed to higher interpersonal connections and pure physical proximity. It is also evident here with collaborations between all prominent researchers from the Beijing University of Post and Telecommunication.…”

AI Chatbot Adoption in Academia: Task Fit, Usefulness and Collegial Ties

“…Research by Ertug et al (2022) found that homophily accelerates the transmission of information and influences behavior. Studies have also shown that academics are more likely to form associations and bonds with others who are similar to them in terms of their academic background and research interests (Stephens & Cummings, 2021). Therefore, we hypothesize that a close association of individuals in academic workgroups would influence the needs and requirements of the task and, thus, the perceived usefulness of AI chatbots.…”

Bilişsel ve Örgütsel Yakınlığın Bilimsel İş Birliklerine Etkisi: Türkiye’deki Coğrafya Dergileri Üzerine Ampirik Bir Araştırma

“…Özellikle aktörler arasında temasın sağlanması ve bunun artırılması, karşılıklı güven ve anlayışın geliştirilmesi ve özellikle koordinasyon sorunlarının azaltılması coğrafi yakınlığın önemli olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Bu nedenle bilimsel iş birliklerinin geliştirilmesinde ve disiplinler arası iş birliğinin teşvik edilmesi için gerekli planlama ve politika süreçlerinde coğrafi yakınlığın dikkate alınması önerilmektedir (Stephens & Cummings, 2021). Peki, coğrafi yakınlık bütün bu süreçlerin gelişmesi için yeterli midir?…”