A Systematic Literature Review of Good University Governance and an Integrated Agenda for Research and Technology Transfer

Abstract

Purpose: This systematic literature review investigates the governance of research and technology transfer within higher education, addressing the structural disconnects between university-level Good University Governance (GUG) and operational Technology Transfer Office (TTO) practices. While GUG literature has matured regarding teaching and research, it has largely omitted technology transfer as a governance object, leaving TTOs to evolve without institutional anchoring. Methodology: Following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, this review synthesizes literature from Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO using Best-Fit Framework Synthesis. It integrates GUG principles with organizational control and evaluation theories, analyzing 30 high-quality studies on TTO governance alongside recent empirical evidence from Ethiopian higher education contexts. Findings: The synthesis reveals a compounding "anchoring deficit" across four dimensions. First, GUG implementation remains hybrid but incomplete, failing to extend to third-mission activities. Second, TTOs are evolving from transactional gatekeepers to knowledge flow orchestrators, yet lack the necessary university-level policy logic to support this shift. Third, evaluation systems act as the critical governance interface; traditional financial metrics fail in high-uncertainty environments, necessitating a shift toward absorptive capacity indicators. Consequently, external accountability mechanisms, such as state audits, substitute for internal governance, eroding institutional autonomy. Originality: The article conceptualizes "evaluation design as governance design" and provides an integrated agenda for aligning university-level strategies with TTO operations. It offers actionable recommendations for policymakers to revise promotion criteria, integrate digital performance dashboards, and build internal budget oversight capacity.