Organizational Enablers to the Governance of Collaborative University-Industry R&D Programs

Abstract

Governance has a significant impact on the success of programs and projects. However, governance of collaborative university-industry projects and programs in literature, is a rather scarce topic. Based on an ethnographic study of a large university-industry collaboration, this paper proposes a conceptual framework of Organizational Enablers (OEs) to improve the governance of collaborative university-industry R&D programs. An exploratory research was carried out, aiming to learn from the experience of program and project managers and other program stakeholders of the case under study. Qualitative data was collected using participant observation and document analysis. The framework highlights nine OEs: ‘Established governance policies and values’, ‘Formal Governance support structures’, ‘Flexible organization structures’, ‘Standardization of program and project management practices’, ‘Different management approaches to fit the project needs’, ‘Clearly defined roles and responsibilities’, ‘Different means of communication and interaction’, ‘Top management Support’ and ‘Projects strategic alignment within the industry and university roadmaps’.