City Research Online

Abstract

This study investigates how an incumbent company's internal characteristics influence its propensity to form learning alliances. A firm may be reluctant to enter a research alliance when it has deep knowledge in a certain technological field due to concerns about knowledge leakage and the low possibility of being able to learn much from collaboration. On the contrary, when the firm has a broad knowledge base, it may have high propensity to enter alliances due to more self-confidence in its ability to learn fast from partners. In addition, we argue that when a firm concentrates its R&D at a central location, this neutralizes the positive and negative influences of the two knowledge base features on alliance formation. We tested and found support for the hypotheses using a database of 1550 alliances undertaken by 78 large incumbent pharmaceutical, chemical, and agro-food companies active in the biotechnology sector during 1993–2002.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Zhang, J. and Baden-Fuller, C. (2010), The Influence of Technological Knowledge Base and Organizational Structure on Technology Collaboration. Journal of Management Studies, 47: 679–704., which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2009.00885.x. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.
Publisher Keywords:	Biotechnology, knowledge base, organizational structure, strategic alliance
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Departments:	Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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