Interorganizational knowledge transfer mechanisms: a study in the largest Brazilian institution of agricultural research

Abstract

Based on the theoretical perspective of interorganizational knowledge transfer, the objective of the study was to analyze the role of mechanisms in the performance of knowledge transfer between a Brazilian public research institution and its licensed companies. In methodological terms, qualitative research was carried out based on the case study method applied in the largest national institution of public agricultural research. The results of the study point out that, despite the diversity of available mechanisms, the knowledge transfer between the Research Institution and the licensed companies is characterized by the intensive use of coding mechanisms rather than customization mechanisms, which are fundamental in transfer of tacit knowledge. These findings converge with studies in the field that indicate that the sharing of tacit knowledge requires the use of personalization mechanisms and that, in the absence of adequate mechanisms, technology transfer tends to face considerable challenges, such as the emergence of relational conflicts in the partnership and the difficulty of applying the technology by the receiving companies, inhibiting the process innovation potential. Therefore, a relevant implication is that the transfer of interorganizational knowledge should be conceived as a relational process that requires joint learning, especially when the type of knowledge involved has a complex nature.