An investigation of higher education institution's knowledge transfer strategies : a comparative study of three institutions in Hong Kong /

Open in iSearch

Student Theses

2017

Chung, Yan Yi Eddy

Thesis

Over the last three decades, there has been considerable transformation of global higher education institutions from a traditional role of teaching towards a contemporary role of diversified teaching, with intensive research and knowledge transfer taking place locally and internationally. Institutional transformations in Hong Kong's higher education system over the last decade were no exception. Decentralised governance, increasing public accountability, social and economic responsibilities, enhancing quality and research excellence, sustaining society's development through community engagement and knowledge transfer are essential changing functions and missions driving knowledge transfer strategy differences in the process of dynamic transformation. Knowledge transfer literatures reveal that they are usually associated with the third mission of higher education institutions, particularly in the knowledge-based economy context while facing society's demanding role expectations and institutions' fundamental transformation needs. To succeed in knowledge transfer and achieve the third mission, do different knowledge transfer strategies matter at the institutional and academic-based levels for striking challenges derived from the contemporary role and the mission of institutions? Nevertheless, different conceptual understandings of knowledge transfer, say interpreting from policy, implementation, organisation, and developmental perspective, may result in different interpretations on institutions' strategy formulation, dissemination and implementation. However, these further align with their specified missions, roles, strengths, and stages of knowledge transfer development, inter alia, some identified knowledge transfer models. With the importance of achieving educational and social missions while enhancing sustainability through institutional knowledge transfer initiatives globally, there seems to be a lack of relevant studies in knowledge transfer strategies related to Hong Kong. Henceforth, this research attempts to investigate the extant of knowledge transfer strategies adopted and implemented by three publicly-funded small to medium size higher education institutions in Hong Kong so as to derive an initial understanding about their differences, similarities and characteristics, and explore whether there are differences between strategies formulation, dissemination and implementation amongst various knowledge transfer agencies. These may lead to rethinking and rearticulating various issues and provide informed bases for local institutions' knowledge transfer implementation and the government's funding initiatives. This research has adopted a comparative education approach with adoption of the Bray and Thomas' Cube, and Adamson and Morris' theoretical guiding frameworks facilitating for units, focus and interpretative comparison and analysis. Multiple-case study with a qualitative method of inquiry into the knowledge transfer strategies through documentary search and semi-structured interviews were set out at the case study protocol and used for data collection. The collected data were processed through computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software for facilitating a swapping inductive to deductive method of coding, comparing and analysing. Findings consistency were ascertained through the convergence of data collected from different sources while the analytical strategy of descriptive and heuristic framework of analysis, thematic qualitative text analysis process, technique of cross-case synthesis, and comparative analyses were adopted and aligned with a developmental process perspective. Subsequently, sixty-one knowledge transfer strategies were categorised with distinguishing differences and overlapping similarities while ways of disseminating and implementing strategies adopted by the cases had significant similarities. Simultaneously, different characteristics and shaped factors of three driven models of knowledge transfer strategisation were identified. The observed results were possibly aligned with different stages of knowledge transfer and strategy development. Therefore, they helped to further develop a developmental process-based model integrating with multiple-interpretation perspectives facilitating for a practical and comprehensive analysis and derivation of KT strategies in realising different objectives, roles and strengths of individual institutions. Indeed, the comprehensive and systematic methodology process may derive methodological significance while the developmental perspective with identified stages may have underpinning effects on strategy development and funding policy implications

LG51.H43 Dr 2017eb Chungyy

https://educoll.lib.eduhk.hk/records/Zq9WMjz4