Knowledge Transfer and Institutional Change.

Abstract

How does one get organizations, institutions, and individual decision makers to develop nondefensive, open-minded willingness to review their standard practices and try out relevant, credible, promising innovations? The federal government now spends about 17 billion dollars a year for the support of research and development in the United States. An assumption behind this expenditure is that there will be a return on the investment in terms of valuable contributions to meeting national needs, ameliorating social problems, and upgrading the quality of life. Particularly in the past 10 years, assumptions about the cost-benefits to the public from this huge investment have come under critical scrutiny and challenge. As noted by former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Rich