Knocking on knowledge’s door: mapping university to business marketing literature

Abstract

The landscape of higher education has been evolving, necessitating universities to forge symbiotic relationships with the industry to ensure mutual growth and development. In this line, marketing becomes crucial for universities to effectively engage with businesses, foster partnerships, and drive innovation. Therefore, we present a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of the existing research landscape in this domain. By doing so, we seek to address pertinent questions regarding when, who, where, and what is currently known in the field, and considering the need for a holistic understanding by adopting an innovative mixed- method approach. Thus, combining a systematic mapping study (SMS) with a thorough categorisation and analysis of research themes, supported by VOSviewer software, the results provide an integrated analysis of the state of the art; notably, they illuminate that this field of knowledge is in its early stages and exhibits a fragmented research focus. This study presents an opportunity to contribute to the future development of knowledge in university to business marketing – both in theoretical and practical terms – to assist universities in effectively managing this challenge.