STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND: INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS by BETH-ANNE SCHUELKE LEECH (Under the direction of Barry Bozeman) Abstract Technology transfer between the public sector and industry is often viewed as the key to the development and use of new knowledge. The U.S. federal government has pushed for increased use of government funded inventions and discoveries, from both government and university labs. However, professional conventions and organizational cultures can make it difficult for industry and academic researchers to work together effectively. This dissertation examines the role that institutions and academic disciplines have on the behavior and values of academic researchers. The dissertation is comprised of three essays, each one exploring a different aspect of the relationship between academic researchers and technology transfer activities. The first essay explores the differences between research scientists and engineers to see whether disciplinary conventions create a higher or lower propensity to be involved with industry. The results of the essay show that there are strong disciplinary differences between scientists and engineers. Engineers are more likely to spend time working with industry, to act as a resource for industry, to actively collaborate with industry, and to believe that funding decisions should consider the overall benefit to society that the research provides. The second essay looks at the influence of three types of departmental research resources – human, financial, and physical – on individual researchers. The results show that different resources have different influences on industrial involvement activities. Human resources have a consistently positive influence on industry involvement; financial resources have a mixed influence, while physical resources have a consistently negative effect. The final essay examines the influence of research colleagues within University Research Centers (URCs). Specifically, it examines whether researchers are more likely to be affiliated with URCs dominated by their own discipline. It also investigates whether working in a university research center dominated by engineers leads to different collaborative behavior for research scientists. The results show that the majority of researchers do not cross disciplinary boundaries to work in URCs. In addition, scientists that work in engineering-dominated URCs exhibit different industrial involvement behavior than researchers affiliated with non-engineering dominated URCs. INDEX WORDS: University-Industry Collaboration; Technology Transfer; Research Collaboration; Academic Researchers; Research Resources; Scientists and Engineers; Science and Engineering STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND: INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS by BETH-ANNE SCHUELKE LEECH B.Eng., McMaster University, 1994 M.B.A., York University, 2004 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2011 © 2011 Beth-Anne Schuelke Leech All Rights Reserved STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND: INDUSTRY AND ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS by BETH-ANNE SCHUELKE LEECH Major Professor: Barry Bozeman Committee: Thomas P. Lauth Andrew Whitford Hal Rainey Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2011 Dedication Dedicated to my dear father, Robert Otto Schuelke – a real gentleman, kind, intelligent, wise, sweet, curious, understanding. Though he did not live to see the completion of this particular adventure, he is always with me in Spirit and Love. iv Acknowledgements I wish to first acknowledge and thank my dissertation chair, Barry Bozeman. Twice he rescued me from academic oblivion and provided me with direction and support and I am most grateful. His advice and guidance have been excellent and forthright. I appreciate both. Next, I wish to thank my other committee members: Tom Lauth, Andy Whitford, and Hal Rainey. I could not have asked for a better or nicer committee. I have truly been blessed in that. Each of you has given me generously of your thoughts and advice when I’ve needed it. I thank you all. I would also like to thank Jim Hearn, Sheila Slaughter, and J. Doug Toma from the Institute of Higher Education. I learned a great deal from you all and have appreciated your ongoing support and encouragement. I would also like to thank Scott Thomas, Andy Whitford, Ryan Bakker, and Austin Lacy, who kindly taught me statistics and gave me a real passion for understanding them. Cathy Slade, Joy Dell, George Bereznai, Phyllis James, Gayle Herrington, Gini Sage, and Victoria Pate have all provided me a wonderful blend of personal and professional support. I could not treasure or appreciate you more than I do. Each in your own way has made this journey much more fun. I would like to recognize and thank my mother, Jana Sue Schuelke, and father, Robert Otto Schuelke. Though this dissertation is dedicated to my father, who passed v away just before my comprehensive exams in 2009, my mother’s support and love are no less appreciated nor treasured. I have been truly blessed to have had two such wonderful parents and friends. I love you both so very much. Robbie and David – my sweet scientist and dear engineer – are my greatest accomplishments and investments. I love you both and am grateful for the affection, curiosity, and joy you bring to my life. You remind me each day why I work to make our world a better place. Most especially I wish to thank my dear husband, Timothy Carlyle Leech. This adventure would not have been possible without him. Words can never fully express how wonderful and dear you are to me. You are my partner, friend, confidant, playmate, and financier. You have sacrificed so much for me. You truly embody our promise to “love, support, and serve” each other. May I remember and show how grateful I am to you every day of our journey together. Lastly, I wish to thank our heavenly Father-Mother. I do not acknowledge this enough, even to myself, but my life really is for the glory of God. vi Table of Contents DEDICATION .................................................................................................................IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................V TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................VII CHAPTER 1: ACADEMIC RESEARCHERS AND INDUSTRY ....................................... 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 1 COLLABORATION ...................................................................................................... 4 INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE AND CONVENTIONS .................................................... 9 DISSERTATION OUTLINE AND METHODOLOGY.................................................. 13 DATA......................................................................................................................... 15 INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT...................................................................................... 18 TIME SPENT WORKING WITH INDUSTRY ............................................................. 18 RESOURCE FOR INDUSTRY .................................................................................. 21 ACTIVE COLLABORATION WITH INDUSTRY......................................................... 25 CHAPTER 2: THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ACADEMIC SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS ................................................................................................................. 30 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 30 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS .................................. 30 HYPOTHESES: BEHAVIOR AND VALUES OF RESEARCH SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS ............................................................................................................. 34 DEPENDENT VARIABLES AND METHODOLOGY.................................................. 42 EXPLANATORY AND CONTROL VARIABLES ........................................................ 43 vii RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 51 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS......................................................................... 56 CHAPTER 3: THE EFFECT OF DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH RESOURCES......... 59 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 59 DEPARTMENTAL RESEARCH RESOURCES ......................................................... 62 HYPOTHESES .......................................................................................................... 68 VARIABLES AND METHODOLOGY......................................................................... 71 EXPLANATORY AND CONTROL VARIABLES ........................................................ 73 RESULTS .................................................................................................................. 74 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS......................................................................... 80 CHAPTER 4: UNIVERSITY RESEARCH CENTERS AND ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES 85 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 85 INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH