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The thesis critically appraises the author's published works, whilst also attempting to demonstrate originality, rigor, significance, and coherence throughout. The papers enclosed are both core and supporting and represent a critical evaluation of the author's work over the past nine years. In that time 10 pieces of work have been published in high quality journals, or disseminated at peer reviewed academic and practitioner conferences. Outlined below are the thesis aim and objectives, followed by the research context and key contributions of the author's research. Research Aim and Objectives The overarching aim of this thesis is to summarise the author's contribution to knowledge in the area of technology transfer through published works, specifically focusing on an exploratory study of innovation intermediaries in technology transfer contexts. The key objectives of the published works as appraised throughout the thesis can be summarised as follows: To critically examine the wide range of barriers that impede SMEs participation in regional and national R&D and innovation funding programmes aimed at promoting technology transfer and innovation. To critically investigate the applicability of technology to facilitate user innovation methods such as the lead user concept and its potential for wider deployment to support technology transfer. To conduct a tailored literature review to critically analyse the potential to integrate entrepreneurial networks and a business process approach, to add value to technology transfer processes within a university incubator setting and outline a research agenda.

This thesis examines the relationship between the design of an organisation's structure and information fulfilment. The term information fulfilment refers to having access to all the information needed to undertake a task or a set of tasks to the user's full satisfaction. The term was originally used in commerce to describe order fulfilment but is used in this context to describe occurrences when there has been information which is accurate, timely, current and presented in an appropriate and useful format to allow (work) tasks to be completed. The research deals with issues surrounding organisation structures and examines levels of information fulfilment in micro substantive settings, within three institutions in Russia, Poland and the UK. The interpretative ethnographic studies were undertaken using symbolic interactionist participant observation and the results are presented in various figures and analysed using Blumer's "sensitizing concepts". The social setting of each study are discussed whilst the chosen ethno- record format was "topical headings" .The data sorting was completed by employing a method of "sensitising concepts" whilst the contexts of the studies were considered using a set of five cultural frameworks. Consideration is given to the implications of these results in the form of a matrix model which is proposed as a guide for future planning of effective organisation designs which enhance levels of information fulfilment.

With the increase in more service-oriented industries in the current economy, companies are having to reasses their assets in order to overcome competition. The lifestyles of people have become more fast-paced and along with the effects of globalisation, companies need to be able to adapt quickly to the ever-changing nature of consumer demands. Traditional material assets are no longer the only things that could be considered of value within the organisation. The skills, expertise and knowledge of the employees within the company could also be considered an asset that should be utilised efficiently to generate more income for the company. Furthermore, the advances in technology have created a society where information is utilised and modified at a rapid pace. Therefore, organisations; need to be aware of the knowledge that is within the company and utilise it efficiently to create services and products that would be attractive to the buying market. In the interest of knowledge and it s value within organisations, this research studies the capability of the organisation to manage the knowledge of their employees within the context of Knowledge Management( KM) processes. The research aims to discover how organisations identify the necessary knowledge required within the company and encourage their staff to become more knowledgeable. Moreover, this study includes questioning the extent to which companies have implemented KM strategies within the organisation that would assist them in the management of employee knowledge. Furthermore, the thesis aims to study how knowledge is retained and disseminated within the organisation. Lastly, the Human Resource support systems that would assist in the management of knowledge within the company are also studied. The research takes place within four different companies from four separate industries, namely the pharmaceutical, architecture, telecommunications and the oil and gas industries. The study is conducted using the qualitative multiple case-study method where key members within the chosen organisations are interviewed. It is discovered that although all the companies involved in the research are aware of the importance of their employees' knowledge and that they would like to manage it more efficiently, the organisations have not implemented any formal KM strategy. However, the companies have a variety of other policies and procedures that, when combined, could help the company to manage the knowledge base within the organisation. In addition, the findings of the study raise the issue of utilising support systems such as training and rewards as a means for encouraging employees to remain within the company as well as to contribute to the collective knowledge of the organisation. In conclusion, this research discovers possible points of interest regarding the issues relating to the KM process that should be taken into consideration when planning a KM strategy within an organisation.

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