Conceptual framework and hypotheses

Abstract

After giving an overview of the fields of R&D collaboration and knowledge in the preceding chapters, it is the objective of the following paragraphs to merge the two research domains, deduct hypotheses and develop a comprehensive conceptual framework. More particularly, this chapter will commence with theoretical considerations of knowledge sharing in collaborations, identifying social exchange theory as an appropriate guiding structure. The theoretical considerations are followed by a systematic examination of existing empirical work, aiming at the identification of the most relevant factors for knowledge sharing in an academic context. Consolidating the theoretical and practical perspectives, the chapter concludes with the deduction of hypotheses to be tested in the empirical section of this work.