STRONG TIES BETWEEN ACADEMIC AND CORPORATE RESEARCHERS: FOCUS ON TRIGGERS FOR TIE FORMATION

This study reveals that the strength of ties among academic and corporate researchers who are subject to institutional distance depends on the triggers for tie formation through trust. As strong ties are suitable for the exchange of complex knowledge, they are expected to contribute to knowledge transfer and subsequent innovative knowledge creation. With data from 508 researchers in Japan, this study reveals that the most common trigger is meeting at academic conferences, but ties formed through this trigger are weak. In contrast, ties formed during school days or past work are long-lasting strong ties, and introductions by peer researchers form strong ties from the short-term perspective. Interestingly, ties formed through introductions by industry–academia intermediary organisations are found to be strong in the short term but weak in the long term. Based on these results, this study suggests management and policy that contribute to the formation of strong ties.