Anke Piepenbrink | ADA University (original) (raw)

Thesis Chapters by Anke Piepenbrink

Standard developing organizations (SDOs) are voluntary inter-organizational collaborations with t... more Standard developing organizations (SDOs) are voluntary inter-organizational collaborations with the goal to develop jointly compatibility standards for complex modular technological systems.
This dissertation examines the evolution of the innovation network and technological system in a SDO with the perspective of complementing micro and macro level.
The dissertation is rooted in the multidisciplinary complex system theory and draws on a broad range of literature from management, sociology, biology and physics with the common theme of bipartite network analysis.

The innovation network is conceptualized as a bipartite network with ties between organizations and innovations to which they contribute. I show that technical capital, resources in the SDO and their match between organization and innovation, rather than social capital, network position, drive the tie formation in the innovation network.
To answer the question of emerging order in an innovation ecology without formal hierarchy I borrow from the literature of ecological mutualistic networks. I show that a nested order emerges based on a parsimonous process of matching resources, that leads to a rather stable system over more than ten years.

The evolution of the technological system in the SDO environment departs from the established life cycle model and is best described by a life spiral model with continuously increasing system performance rather than punctuated equilibria. The key distinction to market-based technological evolution is the coordinated and designed development process within the SDO, that allows to introduce new services and change core parts of the system based on architectural knowledge. As a consequence the development process follows a gradual change model with changing tempo. Furthermore the evolution is characterized by simultaneity of innovation types that identifies the SDO as ambidextrous organization with separation of exploitation and exploration on project level.

The research context is Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in the cellular telecommunications industry with data from 1992 to 2011.

Papers by Anke Piepenbrink

Organizational Research Methods, …, 2013

Network-based research in the management field largely assumes one-mode (unipartite) networks, de... more Network-based research in the management field largely assumes one-mode (unipartite) networks, despite the widespread presence of two-mode (bipartite) networks. In empirical work, scholars usually project a bipartite network onto a unipartite network, ignoring issues related to the interdependence of ties and potential loss of information. Yet new advances in measures and methods related to bipartite networks in the fields of sociology, physics, and biology may make such tactics unnecessary. This article presents an overview of three research streams related to bipartite networks, namely, (a) refinements related to the projections of bipartite networks onto unipartite networks; (b) the extension of networks measures from unipartite networks to bipartite networks, with a focus on clustering coefficients; and (c) approaches unique to bipartite networks, such as nestedness. We apply these approaches and compare the findings of a traditional unipartite network analysis, using both a simple example and a sample of 10,223 directors of 1528 Indian firms in 2009.

Global Strategy …, Jun 2011

This study examines a key question one asks when negotiating an alliance: ‘how tight or loose a r... more This study examines a key question one asks when negotiating an alliance: ‘how tight or loose a relationship do we wish to have with our partner?’Interaction with one’s partner is necessary in order to coordinate operations, effectively transfer tacit knowledge, monitor for opportunism, maximize joint synergistic value, and make sure that an appropriate share of the net benefit created by the alliance is appropriated by the technology provider. However, too tight an ‘embrace’ or too high a degree of interaction between the allies can increase coordination costs and increase the chance of unintended technology leakage. The sample, comprising 95 inter-national alliances involving technology transfers, is grouped into four clusters with rising levels of interaction between allies. The optimal degree of interaction between the partners is
explained by variables drawn from (1) technology characteristics and future technology policy, (2) coordination costs and risks, (3) agreement provisions, and (4) firm and sector characteristics that existed during the negotiation of the alliance. Using a proportional odds model, variables in the ‘coordination costs and risks ’and ‘agreement provisions’ categories found the most support in the results.

Standard developing organizations (SDOs) are voluntary inter-organizational collaborations with t... more Standard developing organizations (SDOs) are voluntary inter-organizational collaborations with the goal to develop jointly compatibility standards for complex modular technological systems.
This dissertation examines the evolution of the innovation network and technological system in a SDO with the perspective of complementing micro and macro level.
The dissertation is rooted in the multidisciplinary complex system theory and draws on a broad range of literature from management, sociology, biology and physics with the common theme of bipartite network analysis.

The innovation network is conceptualized as a bipartite network with ties between organizations and innovations to which they contribute. I show that technical capital, resources in the SDO and their match between organization and innovation, rather than social capital, network position, drive the tie formation in the innovation network.
To answer the question of emerging order in an innovation ecology without formal hierarchy I borrow from the literature of ecological mutualistic networks. I show that a nested order emerges based on a parsimonous process of matching resources, that leads to a rather stable system over more than ten years.

The evolution of the technological system in the SDO environment departs from the established life cycle model and is best described by a life spiral model with continuously increasing system performance rather than punctuated equilibria. The key distinction to market-based technological evolution is the coordinated and designed development process within the SDO, that allows to introduce new services and change core parts of the system based on architectural knowledge. As a consequence the development process follows a gradual change model with changing tempo. Furthermore the evolution is characterized by simultaneity of innovation types that identifies the SDO as ambidextrous organization with separation of exploitation and exploration on project level.

The research context is Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) in the cellular telecommunications industry with data from 1992 to 2011.

Organizational Research Methods, …, 2013

Network-based research in the management field largely assumes one-mode (unipartite) networks, de... more Network-based research in the management field largely assumes one-mode (unipartite) networks, despite the widespread presence of two-mode (bipartite) networks. In empirical work, scholars usually project a bipartite network onto a unipartite network, ignoring issues related to the interdependence of ties and potential loss of information. Yet new advances in measures and methods related to bipartite networks in the fields of sociology, physics, and biology may make such tactics unnecessary. This article presents an overview of three research streams related to bipartite networks, namely, (a) refinements related to the projections of bipartite networks onto unipartite networks; (b) the extension of networks measures from unipartite networks to bipartite networks, with a focus on clustering coefficients; and (c) approaches unique to bipartite networks, such as nestedness. We apply these approaches and compare the findings of a traditional unipartite network analysis, using both a simple example and a sample of 10,223 directors of 1528 Indian firms in 2009.

Global Strategy …, Jun 2011

This study examines a key question one asks when negotiating an alliance: ‘how tight or loose a r... more This study examines a key question one asks when negotiating an alliance: ‘how tight or loose a relationship do we wish to have with our partner?’Interaction with one’s partner is necessary in order to coordinate operations, effectively transfer tacit knowledge, monitor for opportunism, maximize joint synergistic value, and make sure that an appropriate share of the net benefit created by the alliance is appropriated by the technology provider. However, too tight an ‘embrace’ or too high a degree of interaction between the allies can increase coordination costs and increase the chance of unintended technology leakage. The sample, comprising 95 inter-national alliances involving technology transfers, is grouped into four clusters with rising levels of interaction between allies. The optimal degree of interaction between the partners is
explained by variables drawn from (1) technology characteristics and future technology policy, (2) coordination costs and risks, (3) agreement provisions, and (4) firm and sector characteristics that existed during the negotiation of the alliance. Using a proportional odds model, variables in the ‘coordination costs and risks ’and ‘agreement provisions’ categories found the most support in the results.