TESI DI LAUREA: The impact of knowledge transfer on profit and non-for-profit partnerships.

Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore – Milano
Anno Accademico 2012-13

The impact of knowledge transfer on profit and non-for-profit partnerships. The case studies of Coopi-Guna and Gret-Danone

Tesi di Laurea di Laura Carrere
Scarica il  teso integrale della Tesi (172 pagine), qui di seguito, il testo dell’abstract della tesi:

ABSTRACT

Profit and non-for-profit partnerships are strategic cross-sector collaborations providing innovative answers to new global challenges. Knowledge transfer amongst
organizations is a critical resource that permits to improve organizational performance.
Through the case studies of Coopi-Guna and Gret-Danone, the research aims at
exploring the impact of knowledge transfer on the profit and non-for-profit partnerships’ performance. The Italian partnership, Coopi-Guna, and the French one,
Gret-Danone, have been chosen for their performance and comparability. Three specific issues are studied: a) explore the impact of knowledge transfer on the partnerships, b) compare the French and the Italian case studies, and c) understand the key variables affecting partnerships’ success. The literature review analysis has been complemented with face-to-face semi-structured interviews conducted with the nonprofit and profit organizations mentioned. The results of the case studies confirm that knowledge transfer has been a decisive and pervasive element for the partnerships’ management and performance. The comparison of the case studies shows that the main difference between the Italian and the French partnerships has been the knowledge transfer mechanism they have used, one informal and the other formal. It suggests that there is not an optimal knowledge transfer mechanism, but the crucial issue is the fit and compatibility amongst the partners. Mutual trust and cultural alignments towards the project have been identified as the key variables for a better partnerships’ success.