University-business/industry relationships as seen by agriculture engineering and science academics in Jordan

This study investigates the relationship between universities and business/industry in Jordan. The main goals were to identify the types of relationships; the reasons that increasingly compel universities and business/industry to work together; the advantages and disadvantages of relationships for universities, business/industry, and the government/society; and the different policies and practices that encourage/inhibit relationships between universities and business/industry.; Three Jordanian public universities (Jordan University of Science and Technology, Mutah University, and University of Jordan) and three faculties in each university (Agriculture, Engineering, and Science) were chosen for this study. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected via interviews and questionnaires. Ten administrators from the three universities were interviewed and a 132 Agriculture, Engineering, and Science faculty members out of 188 responded to the survey.; Most of the university-business/industry relationships examined in this study are of the "contract research" type in which faculty members are hired as consultants by business/industry.; Administrators across universities perceived the decline of public funding for universities, local and global economic competition, and the knowledge-based economy as the factors compelling universities to work with business/industry. Faculty members perceived the expansion of information technology and growing importance of knowledge-based economy as the two most important factors causing universities and business/industry to work together, while the privatization and decentralization of government functions and the conditionalities set by international organizations were perceived less important.; Both administrators and faculty members perceived that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages for universities, business/industrial firms, and for the government/society of working together.; Trust and communication between universities and business/industry were seen as the most important bases for building successful relationships. Industry/business firm size was perceived to play a role in encouraging/inhibiting relationships. Faculty members main complains were the heavy teaching load, centralized decision-making in the universities, and faculty members' involvement in university-business/industry relationships not being considered as a criterion in faculty promotion decisions.; Administrators and faculty members believed that the current role of the government is very limited. Therefore, they would like the government to activate their policies and to play a more active role in bringing universities and business/industry together.