Research on the knowledge creation process of the university-industry collaboration: A case study of Chinese household appliances manufacturing industry

This paper describes the results of a exploratory case study illustrating how the knowledge is transformed and created during the process of U-I collaboration in China. To describe the knowledge transform tendency, a theoretical framework is developed by reference to the Information Space which of Boisot (1995). Seven stages of knowledge co-creation in U-I collaboration are identified: Demand Codification, Knowledge Gain, Knowledge Digestion, Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Propagation, knowledge spillover and knowledge degeneration. Based on it the GDSP knowledge creation theory which enriches and advances the typical SECI knowledge creation theory in some aspects is proposed. Finally some of the implications for academic and managerial practice are considered.