Enabling and Enacting Boundary Crossing in University-Industry Collaboration

TY - ABST

T1 - Enabling and Enacting Boundary Crossing in University-Industry Collaboration

AU - Xu, Sunny Mosangzi

PY - 2019/8

Y1 - 2019/8

N2 - Inclusive organizations are not only inclusive in an intraorganizational way, but also interorganizationally in the collaboration processes across national boundaries, sectoral and organizational boundaries. By conducting an in-depth ethnographic fieldwork in a university-industry collaboration project, I investigated the micro-dynamics and micro-processes of boundary crossing interactions in which knowledge is co-created. University-industry collaboration is considered as a vital channel for transferring knowledge, generating innovations, and creating social economic impacts. Taking a practice lens, I analyzed what actors actually do in the collaboration processes in their embedded environment. I uncover that actors do boundary crossing by engaging in role work: role drawing and role shifting. I then delineate a four-step processual mechanisms that enact such role work: role performing, role playing, role taking and role making. The findings shed light on 1) early identity formation and change processes; 2) new understanding of successful university-industry collaboration determinants; and 3) the practice of boundary crossing collaborations.

AB - Inclusive organizations are not only inclusive in an intraorganizational way, but also interorganizationally in the collaboration processes across national boundaries, sectoral and organizational boundaries. By conducting an in-depth ethnographic fieldwork in a university-industry collaboration project, I investigated the micro-dynamics and micro-processes of boundary crossing interactions in which knowledge is co-created. University-industry collaboration is considered as a vital channel for transferring knowledge, generating innovations, and creating social economic impacts. Taking a practice lens, I analyzed what actors actually do in the collaboration processes in their embedded environment. I uncover that actors do boundary crossing by engaging in role work: role drawing and role shifting. I then delineate a four-step processual mechanisms that enact such role work: role performing, role playing, role taking and role making. The findings shed light on 1) early identity formation and change processes; 2) new understanding of successful university-industry collaboration determinants; and 3) the practice of boundary crossing collaborations.

U2 - 10.5465/ambpp.2019.17286abstract

DO - 10.5465/ambpp.2019.17286abstract

M3 - Conference abstract in journal

SN - 2151-6561

VL - 2019

JO - Academy of Management Proceedings

JF - Academy of Management Proceedings

IS - 1

ER -