Tensions in linter-Organisational Knowledge Transfer from a Quadruple Helix Perspective: the FinTech Ecosystem in Bahrain

The study aims to explore tensions in an inter-organisational knowledge transfer involving key "Quadruple Helix" actors: academia, regulators, industry, and public or civil society, in the emerging FinTech sector of Bahrain. The collaborative initiatives under a Quadruple Helix configuration bring together a group of actors with dissimilar agendas, to work together and solve complex problems despite their differences. The contrasting nature of the various actors, however, makes these collaborations more vulnerable to tension and conflict. This study provides an understanding of the nature of these tensions, of the reasons why they arise, and of some of the strategies deployed by different organisational actors to address them. In line with the study's exploratory purpose, a qualitative methodological approach was used employing the principles of Grounded Theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key participants. Initial findings identified a number of collaborative tensions. These involve tensions associated with conflicting interests, incongruent collaboration motives, and the divergent values sought from the collaborative engagements by different stakeholders. While most participants held an espoused discourse of collaboration and collegiality, their descriptions of de facto instances exposed tensions that were in practice recognised by them. The study contributes to the field by further exploring the micro aspects of the collaborative tensions within a Quadruple Helix configuration.