http://hdl.handle.net/10379/31 Mon, 30 Oct 2017 00:15:07 GMT 2017-10-30T00:15:07Z http://hdl.handle.net/10379/4369 Fostering University-Industry R&D Collaborations in European Union Countries. Cunningham, James A. This paper advances our understanding of university - industry research and development (R&D) collaborations. These strategic relationships are a dimension of entrepreneurial activity, and they are thus important drivers of economic growth and development. Business collaboration with universities increases the efficiency and effectiveness of industrial investments. Previous studies have found that universities are more likely to collaborate with industry if the business is mature and large, is engaged in exploratory internal R&D, and there are not major intellectual property (IP) issues between both parties. Businesses gain from such collaborations through increased commercialisation probabilities and economies of technological scope. Based on publicly available data collected by the Science - to - Business Marketing Research Centre of Germany as part of a European Commission project, our paper focuses on two key questions. First, why are there cross - country differences in the extent to which universities collaborate with business in R&D? Second, are there covariates with these differences that might offer insight into policy prescriptions and policy levers for enhancing the extent to which such collaboration takes place? We find that access is positive and statistically significant in relation to fostering university - business R&D collaborations. Our results, albeit that they are tempered by a small sample of data, have implications how national innovation systems support further harmonization of IP regimes across universities and how universities priorities its own investments and incentives. Whitaker Institute Working Paper Thu, 01 May 2014 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10379/4369 2014-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3502 The role of work-life balance policies in healthcare human resources management Browne, Patricia; McCarthy, Alma Currently a European wide study has surveyed some 1,406 nurses in 115 units within over 30 hospitals as part of a longer study. This study looks at nurses' qualifications, productivity, their working environment as well as nurse retention (Donnellan, 2010). Work-life balance policies forms part of the HRM mandate. 'Work-life balance means that individuals have successfully segmented or integrated life and work so as to achieve a satisfying quality of life, overall satisfaction and less strain or stress around juggling conflicting role demands' (Blyton et al., 2006: 2). This establishes what WLB should aim to achieve for individuals in organisations. Whether this is achieved often is dependant on both choices provided and the extent they are availed of by individuals. Gambles et al. states that "the choices of the few can impact negatively on 'choices', well-being and equity experienced by the many, even if this is not the intention of the person working long hours"(2006:53). How can work-life balance policies be introduced effectively then? Jones et al. (2006) notes that the salience of work-life balance initiatives would increase by positioning family-friendly practices and other work-life initiatives as strategic human resource management (SHRM) practices. This paper will explore the reasons for investigating family-friendly and work-life balance practices in healthcare organisations. The positive impact these have for both individuals working in the field and to the quality of services they help to provide collectively will be examined. The paper will provide a conceptual model of the antecedents of work-life balance programmes and discuss recommendations for research and analysis in a specific healthcare context. Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10379/3502 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10379/2571 Glorified administrators or eminent research leaders: the inhibiting factors that publicly funded principal investigators experience in leading collaborative research projects Cunningham, James Publicly funded research continues to be an important and critical source of research funding for Higher Education Institutions, public research organisations and industry with many benefits accruing to the various stakeholders. Key actors in delivering publicly funded research projects are Principal Investigators (PIs). PIs are responsible for all aspects of publicly funded research projects and are awarded grants based on their scientific eminence, past achievements, the quality of the proposal and articulated outcomes relating to the public funding calls. Becoming a publicly funded PI is seen as significant developing in a scientists career. Despite their importance, PIs have not been the focus of empirical investigation and the research eminence play is a significant consideration in awarding grants by funding agencies. The combination of increased level of competition for publicly funded research and a more managerialist approach being adopted by Higher Education Institutions, coupled with industry influences has heightened the expectations associated with the role of PI. This paper provides evidence of the inhibiting factors that Principal Investigators experience in leading collaborative publicly funded national and international research projects as well as the tensions it creates for them. The inhibiting factors that we have unearthed are political and environmental, institutional and project based. We have found the optimal balance for publicly funded PIs of conducting, leading and administrating research is significantly skewed towards administrative and managerial issues. The inhibiting factors that publicly funded PIs experience has the potential to undermine the 'ethos of science (Merton, 1968), research autonomy and the prioritization of discovery by scientists. Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10379/2571 2011-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10379/2543 Knowledge Exchange in Electronic Networks of Practice; Towards a Conceptual Framework Whelan, Eoin The recently developed knowledge-based view of the firm argues that knowledge is the firm's most valuable resource. Within this field of study, informal social networks are rapidly gaining attention as mechanisms which facilitate knowledge flows. Electronic networks of practice are a special case of informal networks where the sharing of practice related knowledge occurs primarily through computer-based communication technologies. However, we know relatively little about the dynamics of knowledge exchange which occur in these electronic networks. This paper posits that there is a relationship between the structural properties of electronic networks of practice and successful knowledge exchange. The theoretical positions of social network theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm are used to support this claim. Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT http://hdl.handle.net/10379/2543 2005-11-01T00:00:00Z