Bridging the Mutual Knowledge Gap: Coordination and the Commercialization of University Science

Academy of Management Journal, Forthcoming

50 Pages Posted: 11 Jan 2010 Last revised: 1 May 2013

See all articles by Reddi Kotha

Reddi Kotha

Singapore Management University - Lee Kong Chian School of Business

Gerard George

Singapore Management University

Kannan Srikanth

Singapore Management University - Management Department; University of Southern Denmark - Strategic Organization Design unit (SOD)

Date Written: June 15, 2012

Abstract

We examine why commercialization of inter-disciplinary research, especially from distant scientific domains, is different from inventions from specialized or proximate domains. We argue that anticipated coordination costs arising from the need to transfer technology to the licensee firms and from the need for the inventor team to work together to further develop the technology significantly impact commercialization outcomes. We use a sample of 3,776 university invention disclosures to test whether the variation, in types of experience of the scientists within a team, influences the likelihood that an invention will be licensed. We proffer evidence to support our hypotheses that the anticipated coordination costs influence whether an invention is licensed, and that specific forms of team experience attenuate such coordination costs. The implications of these findings for theories of coordination, innovation, and entrepreneurship are discussed.

Keywords: Technology commercialization, coordination, inventor, licensing, mutual knowledge

JEL Classification: M1, M13, O31

Suggested Citation

Kotha, Reddi and George, Gerard and Srikanth, Kannan, Bridging the Mutual Knowledge Gap: Coordination and the Commercialization of University Science (June 15, 2012). Academy of Management Journal, Forthcoming, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1534049 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1534049

Reddi Kotha

Singapore Management University - Lee Kong Chian School of Business ( email )

469 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 912409
Singapore

HOME PAGE: http://www.business.smu.edu.sg/Faculty/management/reddikotha.asp

Gerard George (Contact Author)

Singapore Management University ( email )

469 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 912409
Singapore

HOME PAGE: http://www.smu.edu.sg/faculty/profile/118836/Gerry-GEORGE

Kannan Srikanth

Singapore Management University - Management Department ( email )

50 Stamford Rd
Singapore, 178899
Singapore

University of Southern Denmark - Strategic Organization Design unit (SOD) ( email )

Campusvej 55
Odense, DK-5230 M
Denmark

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