City Research Online

Abstract

Corporate venture (CV) units constitute vehicles through which firms may act ambidextrously, thereby increasing their longevity, but they suffer from a high failure rate. The authors examine why and how some CV units last significantly longer than others. They argue that CV units endure by developing an ambidextrous orientation themselves—they build new capabilities for the parent firm while simultaneously leveraging its existing strengths. They argue that CV units become ambidextrous by nurturing a supportive relational context, defined by the strength of their relationships with three different sets of actors—parent firm executives, business unit managers, and members of the venture capital community. Using primary data collected from 95 CV units over a three-year period, the authors test and find support for these arguments.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Hill, S. A. & Birkinshaw, J. (2014). Ambidexterity and Survival in Corporate Venture Units. Journal of Management, 40(7), pp. 1899-1931. Copyright © 2012 The Authors. Reprinted by permission of SAGE Publications.
Publisher Keywords:	ambidexterity; corporate venture capital; corporate venture unit; relational context; survival
Departments:	Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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