Public-private partnership in the transfer of technology to human service programs by Ruth A. Bruer

The purpose of this dissertation is to describe the transfer of a specific technology to a program intended to benefit a segment of the older population. The study interprets the implications of this transfer process for human service programs responsive to the public interest. This provides a lucrative realm for examining the process as an outgrowth of public-private partnerships. Analysis of a partnership in five case studies illustrates the dynamics between nonprofit and for-profit organizations and potential tensions related to differing goals, means, and values. Theoretical grounding draws on relevant organization theory that guides the consideration of prominent concepts, such as responsiveness to the public and the potential for cooptation of public goals in public-private organizational partnerships. With this as a base, the dissertation provides implications for the development of theory on technology transfer in the delivery of human services.