Content area
Abstract
Background: Current literature suggests that solutions to complex socioeconomic problems require cross-sector collaborations. The public now expects higher education institutions (HEIs) to explicitly advance regional and local economic development through collaborative engagement with external stakeholders. This expectation is in addition to fulfilling traditional roles regarding education and research. There is a lack of cumulative understanding of factors that significantly influence the effectiveness of external university partnerships.
Methods: This study was an investigation of factors that influence the effectiveness of university partnerships using a systematic review methodology with a dataset of 51 sources in a thematic synthesis. The purpose was to identify the most prominent influences on HEI partnership effectiveness. The criteria for inclusion in this research required that all university partners be comprehensive, research institutions. The study was limited to market-economy nations that are members of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.
Results: Findings from the systematic review suggested that university partnership effectiveness depends on approximately 25 barriers and enablers, which fall into three themes that impact economic development: (a) factors internal to the university; (b) factors external to the university; and (c) factors affecting direct interactions among collaborators.
Implications: Implications for research and practice include gaining faculty commitment for external engagement, building a strong innovation infrastructure, bridging differences in perspectives, and establishing spoken and unspoken agendas of each actor in the partnership. Universities should embrace various roles for their survival and the success of external collaborations that support economic development.
