Page 15 - Rižnar, Igor, and Klemen Kavčič (ed.). 2017. Connecting Higher Education Institutions with Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 15
Collaboration between . . .
paid special attention to s m e s and their requirements. In the subse-
quent sections, we present five of the most mentioned reasons for col-
laboration. It has to be emphasised that these five reasons are neither
complete nor valid for all situations. As investigated by Rybnicek and
Königsgruber (2016), the importance of these factors can vary depend-
ing on the phase of the collaboration. One factor, for example, can be
more important in the planning phase of a collaboration, while another
factor should be more strongly considered in the implementation or es-
tablishment phase.
The five reasons we are going to discuss are achieving completeness,
financing, equipment, staff and knowledge, as well as technology trans-
fer. The order in which they are dealt with should not be misunderstood
as an indication of their importance.
Completeness
One of the main reasons for establishing a collaboration is to find a part-
ner that will supplement one’s strengths and help address one’s weak-
nesses. s m e s are often niche players with a strong focus on specific
tasks, knowledge, processes or products. They have excellent experi-
ences in these areas but as a consequence of this specialisation, and due
to the fact that they do not have unlimited resources, there are some
gaps that must be filled by partners.
Therefore, when it comes to collaboration between a university and
an s m e, it is an essential task to find an appropriate partner that fits
one’s own needs. However, there exist many obstacles to choosing the
right partner with concordant interests and goals (Arvanitis, Kubli,
and Woerter 2008). A wrong partner can increase the costs of collab-
oration when there are different perspectives on important issues or
when there are difficulties in working together (Banal-Estañol, Macho-
Stadler, and Pérez-Castrillo 2013). Despite the fact that the selection
and fit of the partners will certainly affect individual and shared out-
comes (Gunn and Mintrom 2013), it is a common mistake to collaborate
without first conducting adequate research into potential partners. As
mentioned by Gunn and Mintrom (2013), a beneficial collaboration is
dependent on how well the partners fit together.
To overcome this issue, a partner evaluation method with specific cri-
teria should be established to enable the selection of a suitable part-
ner (Barnes, Pashby, and Gibbons 2002). Similarly, Baba, Shichijo and
Sedita (2009) emphasise the importance of applying appropriate search
13
paid special attention to s m e s and their requirements. In the subse-
quent sections, we present five of the most mentioned reasons for col-
laboration. It has to be emphasised that these five reasons are neither
complete nor valid for all situations. As investigated by Rybnicek and
Königsgruber (2016), the importance of these factors can vary depend-
ing on the phase of the collaboration. One factor, for example, can be
more important in the planning phase of a collaboration, while another
factor should be more strongly considered in the implementation or es-
tablishment phase.
The five reasons we are going to discuss are achieving completeness,
financing, equipment, staff and knowledge, as well as technology trans-
fer. The order in which they are dealt with should not be misunderstood
as an indication of their importance.
Completeness
One of the main reasons for establishing a collaboration is to find a part-
ner that will supplement one’s strengths and help address one’s weak-
nesses. s m e s are often niche players with a strong focus on specific
tasks, knowledge, processes or products. They have excellent experi-
ences in these areas but as a consequence of this specialisation, and due
to the fact that they do not have unlimited resources, there are some
gaps that must be filled by partners.
Therefore, when it comes to collaboration between a university and
an s m e, it is an essential task to find an appropriate partner that fits
one’s own needs. However, there exist many obstacles to choosing the
right partner with concordant interests and goals (Arvanitis, Kubli,
and Woerter 2008). A wrong partner can increase the costs of collab-
oration when there are different perspectives on important issues or
when there are difficulties in working together (Banal-Estañol, Macho-
Stadler, and Pérez-Castrillo 2013). Despite the fact that the selection
and fit of the partners will certainly affect individual and shared out-
comes (Gunn and Mintrom 2013), it is a common mistake to collaborate
without first conducting adequate research into potential partners. As
mentioned by Gunn and Mintrom (2013), a beneficial collaboration is
dependent on how well the partners fit together.
To overcome this issue, a partner evaluation method with specific cri-
teria should be established to enable the selection of a suitable part-
ner (Barnes, Pashby, and Gibbons 2002). Similarly, Baba, Shichijo and
Sedita (2009) emphasise the importance of applying appropriate search
13
