City Research Online

Abstract

This dissertation investigates how companies integrate external knowledge to drive organizational transformation in response to digital disruption, through three interconnected studies. The first study develops a comprehensive framework for evaluating external knowledge integration mechanisms, assessing strategic choices between acquisitions, alliances, and corporate venturing, while examining how absorptive capacity and organizational dynamics influence integration strategy selection. The second study analyzes a tech company’s corporate accelerator program, exploring how mentorship design and structural elements enable effective knowledge transfer between startups and corporations while incorporating breakthrough innovations into product strategies. The third study examines how acquiring a "born digital" startup influences transformative strategies at a telecommunications firm, revealing significant impacts on organizational alignments and power dynamics within legacy structures.
The research employs qualitative methods combining systematic literature review and in-depth case studies, including over 80 interviews across multiple organizational levels and stakeholder groups, analyzed using the Gioia methodology. Key theoretical contributions include enhanced understanding of external knowledge integration mechanisms and their relationship with absorptive capacity, new insights into organizational dynamics during transformation extending punctuated equilibrium theory, and improved understanding of intermediary structures in knowledge transfer processes during digital transformation initiatives.
The findings address critical technology adoption challenges while advancing organizational evolution theory in response to transformative technological change. Practical implications include a detailed decision framework for selecting appropriate integration strategies, comprehensive guidance for developing effective corporate accelerator programs, and valuable insights on balancing aggressive external knowledge pursuit with necessary organizational stability. This research helps organizations successfully navigate digital transformation while highlighting potential pitfalls and challenges that can significantly impact transformation initiatives. The study emphasizes the importance of thoughtful mechanism selection and implementation to ensure successful knowledge integration and sustainable organizational change.

Keywords: Digital Transformation, Knowledge Integration, Organizational Change, Corporate Accelerators, Acquisitions, Absorptive Capacity

Publication Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management T Technology
Departments:	Bayes Business School > Bayes Business School Doctoral Theses Bayes Business School > Management Doctoral Theses

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