The Disclosure of Knowledge Transfer for Anchored Legitimacy: the Case of an Italian Public University

This paper sheds light on the disclosure of Knowledge Transfer (KT) and how disclosure impacts and is impacted by the stakeholders of a public university and its anchored legitimacy. This is a qualitative case study that focuses on an Italian university. A mixed-method approach is adopted, triangulated from different sources. The methodologies used are drawn from active research and, in particular, our study relies on an interventionist approach. KT disclosure is found to be more efficacious than KT reports in anchoring the legitimacy of an institution in its territory. This shows that the nature of the knowledge influences the transfer process. Disclosure must be smoothly adapted to formal or informal KT. Research limitations/implications: in a single case study, our paper provides evidences for the implications of KT disclosure. This study shows the potentialities of disclosure for KT in terms of unlocking and offering new opportunities for relations between universities and territories. In an environment with few studies on the peculiar situation of a generalist university, the paper provides new insights into the importance of KT disclosure for strengthening links with the local community and enhancing legitimacy. This is essential for an anchored institution, and a novel concept of anchored legitimacy is presented.