Holistic approach for the conceptual foundation of a university-company management model

The primary objective of this study is to apply the holistic construct theory of Bagozzi and Phillips to the design of a university-company relationship management model for local development, where academics is a key interaction player and a guarantee for the formation of human talent. The methodology consists of generating a theoretical framework from a literary review. This construct presents four types of relationships. As a results four theoretical concepts, 11 derived concepts, and 17 empirical concepts are obtained. Connecting those yields four unobservable hypotheses, three theoretical definitions, two correspondence rules, and six empirical definitions. It is concluded that the holistic approach allows separating conceptual categories into a hierarchical structure, which generates valid definitions or arguments, that a university can use through its training processes to manage alliances with private companies to enhance the quality of life and surroundings of individuals.