| This dissertation finds that university R & D labs adapt to their resource dependency pressure as much as other types of organizations. Their operational goals, R & D structure, and intermediate level organizational processes are significantly influenced by where their resources come from. By contrast, their primary organization processes, such as decisions concerning major R & D research projects, tend to be unaffected. University R & D labs do tend to be relatively more insulated from their environmental influences in terms of the way resource diversity and uncertainty influence their behavior. This is not due to the conventional belief that universities provide them with financial buffering capacities; rather, it is due to emphasis on institutional rules. Policy makers need to be aware that the use of market mechanisms to reform university R & D behavior can only be a gradual and difficult process. To facilitate change to meet the increasing domestic and international competitiveness in research, remaining at the resource manipulation level is not enough. On the other hand, university R & D organizations need to make themselves more flexible and responsive to the changing environment in order to meet the competitive needs of the nation better. |
