The effect of university- industry linkage on technology transfer: The role of human capital and institutional barriers

Tesfaye Hailu Gebrekidan; Abdella Kosa Chebo; Shepherd Dhliwayo

doi:10.1177/09504222251397488

The effect of university- industry linkage on technology transfer: The role of human capital and institutional barriers

Tesfaye Hailu Gebrekidan
, Abdella Kosa Chebo
, Shepherd Dhliwayo

Business Management

Kotebe University of Education
University of Johannesburg
Torrens University Australia

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

While Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are expected to transform their scientific innovation towards developing human capital (HC) and diffuse technologies to businesses, this is not the case in many developing countries’ small business sector. The aim of this study was to test the influence of academia-industry linkage (AIL) on technology transfer (TT) through HC as well as the related institutional barriers (IB). Data were collected using a questionnaire from 245 small manufacturing enterprises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A quantitative approach with descriptive and explanatory research designs were employed. The study findings show that AIL can affect TT both directly and indirectly through HC. IBs were found to not significantly moderate the effect of AIL on TT, while it conditionally moderates the relationship. Given these findings, future researchers are expected to test the role of other variables such as environmental barriers and institutional factors on TT.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	702-710
Number of pages	9
Journal	Industry and Higher Education
Volume	40
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222251397488
Publication status	Published - Aug 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Keywords

academia-industry linkage
conditional process
human capital
institutional barriers
ordinary least squares
technology transfer

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Business and International Management
Education

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10.1177/09504222251397488

Cite this

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abstract = "While Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are expected to transform their scientific innovation towards developing human capital (HC) and diffuse technologies to businesses, this is not the case in many developing countries{\textquoteright} small business sector. The aim of this study was to test the influence of academia-industry linkage (AIL) on technology transfer (TT) through HC as well as the related institutional barriers (IB). Data were collected using a questionnaire from 245 small manufacturing enterprises in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A quantitative approach with descriptive and explanatory research designs were employed. The study findings show that AIL can affect TT both directly and indirectly through HC. IBs were found to not significantly moderate the effect of AIL on TT, while it conditionally moderates the relationship. Given these findings, future researchers are expected to test the role of other variables such as environmental barriers and institutional factors on TT.",

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N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).

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The effect of university- industry linkage on technology transfer: The role of human capital and institutional barriers

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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