Why researchers engaged in technology transfer collaborations: A self-determination theory perspective

This paper employs self-determination theory in social psychology to examine the autonomous and controlled aspects of researchers' motivations for engaging in technology transfer collaboration. Based on in-depth interviews and a questionnaire survey of senior researchers from leading research institutes, this study indicated that researchers were drove by hybrid motives varying on the degree of self-determination, and they were driven primarily by identified regulation. This study also analyzed the relative effectiveness of five types of autonomous-to-controlled motives in promoting researchers' work engagement, positive attitude and participating intention with regard to technology transfer collaboration, and found that only autonomous motivations enhanced the three positive outcomes, while controlled motives failed to positively related to those outcomes. This study provides additional and important insights into the individual level constraints on cultivating and enhancing the performance of policy and institution for technology transfer collaborations.