The effect of a university's market orientation on the industry partner's relationship perception and satisfaction

Abstract

Research commercialisation and technology transfer have become buzzwords in today's scientific and business community, with research suppliers, customers and policymakers spending increasing amounts of resources on achieving commercialisation success. Given a lack of research on university-industry relationships, this paper uses established knowledge in the relationship marketing area, traditionally focused on relationships between private sector enterprises, and extends its application to the analysis and management of science-to-business linkages. Based on a qualitative exploratory study on science-to-business linkages in Australia, a survey was conducted showing a positive effect of academics' engagement on the market orientation of their research group, which in turn positively influenced the industry partner's commitment. Interestingly, while a research group's market orientation was expected to influence the industry partner's trust, the analysis revealed the reverse effect. Furthermore, the study confirmed the relations between the industry partner's trust, commitment, communication and satisfaction. The paper concludes with managerial implications, limitations and directions for future research.