What is Structure of Academic/Industry Collaboration

Academic/industry collaboration can change learning processes and improve outcomes by integrating resources and creating opportunities not otherwise attainable (Wohlin & Regnell, 1999). However, each institution’s culture and organizational objectives influence the collaborative relationships developed as advanced information technologies (e.g., computer aided software engineering tools, enterprise resource planning [ERP] systems, and database tools) are adopted. The challenge is to facilitate mutual understanding and acknowledge distinctions in addressing each organization’s goals. The aim of these relationships is the appropriation of ERPs in a manner that enriches educational experiences, while providing industry benefit. There are many quandaries associated with this phenomenon. How does the deployment of ERPs facilitate educational processes? To what degree should these resources be utilized? What tools and methods should be used? What is the role of the ERP vendor? Can academic independence be maintained? Without a framework to identify relevant variables, it is daunting to begin to assess the impact of varying degrees of adoption, identify effective processes of deployment, and move toward assessing costs and benefits. Though some frameworks address academic/industry collaboration (Mead et al., 1999), few have considered the implications of ERPs on the evolution of inter-institutional collaborative relationships. This exposition augments a framework for understanding the forces at work when integrating ERPs into educational settings (LeRouge & Webb, 2002, 2005). We begin our discussion by reviewing adaptive structuration theory (DeSanctis & Poole, 1994) as the foundation for the academic/industry ERP collaboration framework (LeRouge & Webb, 2002). We discuss academic/industry collaboration constructs and their relationships within the context of ERP systems and then integrate examples, findings, and issues from recent research.