Introduction to Academy-Business Inter-Organizational Partnerships

This chapter explores organizational theory including inter-organizational behavior and several pro-social concerns for both individuals and organizations. A wide range of organizational theories support academy-business inter-organizational partnership functionality. Such theories include rational, natural, and open systems; identity and pro-social behavior; institutional theory; resource dependence theory; social exchange theory; stakeholder theory; and academic capitalism. Inter-organizational behavior is supported by network functionality as well as cross-sectional involvement by the federal and state governments. Inter-organizational partnerships are complex. Little research has been a focus specifically between higher education and companies. The academy-business inter-organizational partnership typology is introduced as a framework for exploring these relationships including concerns of philanthropic, transactional, symbiotic, and synergistic partnership dimensions.