Knowledge transfer activities in social sciences and humanities: Explaining the interactions of research groups with non-academic agents

Abstract

The aim of this research is to achieve a better understanding of the processes underlying knowledge transfer (KT) in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH). The paper addresses: first, the extent of SSH research groups' engagement in KT and the formal KT activities used to interact with non-academic communities; and second, how the characteristics of research groups may influence engagement in various types of KT. The empirical analysis is at research group level using data derived from a questionnaire of SSH research groups conducted by the Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC). We find that KT activities are based on relational rather than commercial activities. The most frequent relational activities in which SSH research groups engage are consultancy and contract research, with personnel mobility a marginal activity. We find also that the characteristics of research groups (e.g. size and multidisciplinarity) and individuals (e.g. status and research impact) are associated with involvement in KT activities and that a deliberate focus on the societal impacts and relevance of the research conducted is strongly related to active engagement of research groups in all the modes of KT considered in this study. From a managerial perspective, our findings suggest that measures promoting a focus on the societal impact of research could enhance research groups' engagement in KT activities.

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“…Similar results were obtained by Olmos-Peñuela, Castro-Martínez, and D'Este (2014). SSH scientists can be driven by the idea of an improvement of social conditions.…”

Knowledge Transfer in the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) – Definition, Motivators, Obstacles, and Visions

“…Similar results were obtained by Olmos-Peñuela, Castro-Martínez, and D'Este (2014). SSH scientists can be driven by the idea of an improvement of social conditions.…”

The importance of pro-social behaviour for the breadth and depth of knowledge transfer activities: An analysis of Italian academic scientists

“…A number of studies have thus considered a broader set of KT activities, focusing on academics' propensity to undertake them (Ramos-Vielba et al, 2016;Olmos-Peñuela et al, 2014;D'Este and Perkmann, 2011;Landry et al, 2010;Grimpe and Fier, 2010;D'Este and Patel, 2007;Link et al, 2007) and their relative effects (Landry et al, 2007;D'Este et al, 2013;Sánchez-Barrioluengo, 2014). For example, D' Este and Patel (2007) are among the first to include contract research and consulting activity in the analysis of KT activities.…”

“…For example, D' Este and Patel (2007) are among the first to include contract research and consulting activity in the analysis of KT activities. Similarly, Olmos-Peñuela et al (2014) and Ramos-Vielba et al (2016) consider a broad range of KT activities, including direct personal interactions, informal cooperative relations and knowledge dissemination activities. These studies have generally found complementarities between KT activities, suggesting that they appear together, not in isolation (Grimpe and Hussinger, 2013;Siegel et al, 2003;Link et al, 2007).…”

“…Only recently have a number of contributions considered a broader set of KT activities and focused on the motivation of academics to perform these activities (Ramos-Vielba et al, 2016;Olmos-Peñuela et al, 2014;D'Este and Perkmann, 2011;D'Este and Patel, 2007;Link et al, 2007), their complementarities (Landry et al, 2010) and their effects on effective KT (Landry et al, 2007). This stream of literature has shown that academic engagement is mainly influenced by individual characteristics (Link and Scott, 2012), organisational and institutional factors (Moog et al, 2015;Ding and Choi, 2011;Jensen and Thursby, 2001), the scientific discipline of the academic (Bekkers and Bodas Freitas, 2008) and a combination of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: fundraising, access to knowledge and learning (D'Este and Perkmann, 2011;Lam, 2011).…”