Dealing with Cultural Issues in the Triple Helix Model Implementation: A Comparison Among Government, University and Business Culture

Implementing a model to foster the interaction among Government, Academy and Business seems to require more than the model definition and the expected operational programming and budgeting. The concept of Triple Helix as innovation strategy is based in the participation and collaboration of three entities with different objectives, being a common goal setting considered as the means for harmonization of the cultural diversity involved in the activities of the three partners. While Government Policies, Norms and Regulations works in a cultural environment characterized by structured guidelines, compulsory duties and control, University activities are guided by the knowledge creation and diffusion usually taking advantage of the open environment prevailing. Business culture has as main difference the profit orientation and the efficiency search in order to create value to the shareholders. Under these different objectives, Governments are economic development oriented, Universities are knowledge oriented and Businesses are profit oriented, representing three cultural operational environments. To understand the complexities of the cultures that must work together to foster innovation results, a research study was conducted using Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions as a main analytical framework to identify the culture characteristics of each one of the parties involved in a Triple Helix operational Model.