Diffusion of knowledge in strategic alliance: empirical evidence (original) (raw)
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Alliance formation issues for knowledge-based enterprises
International Journal of Management Reviews, 2001
Interfirm collaboration among knowledge intensive firms is increasing as a result of accelerating competition, falling regulatory barriers, and rising customer expectations. Resource dependency theory is used to position knowledge as the key resource for the knowledge-based enterprise (KBE) and to examine the suitability of alliances as a mode of knowledge acquisition and exchange, contrasted particularly with merger and acquisition. The alliance and knowledge literatures are reviewed and particular attention is paid to the critical alliance formation stage. This stage is reviewed against a research model that posits firm performance in knowledge creation arises from a number of factors, including the motivation for an alliance, partner firm characteristics (the ability to develop and sustain valuable resources; absorptive capacity; combinative capability; experience with alliances; and appropriate design for knowledge exchange), the development of operating structures and norms, and the choice of alliance structure. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research. This paper will focus on an important aspect of alliance operation-formation-with a view to developing a parsimonious conceptual model linking the motivation to collaborate (based on resource-dependency theory) with structure, partner characteristics, operating norms and performance for KBEs. Formation is an important period in the life of an alliance, as Walker, Kogut, and Shan (1997) have argued that the early choices made by firms have a significant impact on the course of future cooperation. This paper is in four sections. First, we will briefly define knowledge and alliances. Second, we will provide an overview of some of the key aspects of alliances that will demonstrate their suitability as a mode of knowledge acquisition and exchange, especially in contrast to merger and acquisition (M&A). Third, we will introduce our research model and integrate representative studies from the alliances and knowledge literatures to describe the key issues in the formation stage of the alliance life cycle. Finally, areas for future research will be proposed. Definitions Knowledge: Every evolving field of inquiry seems replete with a host of definitions and distinctions that attempt to shade every nuance of the phenomenon under study. Knowledge in firms is no exception. Rather than survey this field in search of an ideal definition, we have chosen instead to adopt the distinction Zack (1999) made about data, information and knowledge. Briefly, Zack (1999) suggested that data comprised observable facts without context. With the addition of suitable context, data became more valuable, to a firm as it was thus transformed into information. Finally, knowledge is information further endowed by the user's belief in its worth through the assignment to it of value, based on meaningful, organized accumulation obtained via experience, communication or inference (Zack, 1999). Polanyi (1966) usefully distinguished between explicit knowledge (which can be presented in written form) and tacit knowledge (which is difficult to codify, reflecting human limitations on describing everything they know). These distinctions will also be observed in this paper. Alliances: Alliances make possible the conduct of cooperative activity between firms and create opportunities for participating companies to appropriate benefits from their involvement in an alliance. This form of collaboration has been defined as a partnership amongst firms that work together to achieve some strategic objective (Berg, Duncan and Friedman, 1982; Harrigan, 1988; Killing, 1983). The literature emphasizes several key characteristics of alliances. Alliances are generally thought to include two or more firms united to pursue a set of agreed-upon goals (Yoshino and Rangan, 1995); contributing complementary, firm-specific capabilities (Florin, 1997); involved in a range of interdependent activities (Contractor and Lorange, 1988) in which limited control is exercised by parties (Gomes-Casseres, 1996) who remain independent subsequent to the formation of the alliance and share in its risks and benefits (Yoshino and Rangan, 1995).
Knowledge transfer in alliances: determinant factors
2008
Purpose -Resource-and knowledge-based authors claim that firms should focus on the creation and accumulation of knowledge-based competencies in order to yield long-term survival. Several authors have emphasized the added value of alliance relationships in the knowledge development and learning processes of organizations. Over the past decades, thanks to the opportunities provided by the inter-firm co-operations for knowledge transfer, knowledge access and learning, strategic alliances have become one of the most useful organizational forms for developing new knowledge for firms. The purpose of this paper is to identify and classify factors affecting knowledge transfer in strategic alliances.
Knowledge and learning in strategic alliances: how to learn with cooperation
Problems and Perspectives in Management, 2008
The formation of strategic alliances is often motivated by the benefits arising from organizational learning and knowledge transfer among alliance members. In strategic alliances, both strategic similarity and dissimilarity may exist and both may have positive effects on organizational learning and knowledge transfer.
A knowledge accessing theory of strategic alliances
Journal of Management Studies, 2004
The emerging knowledge-based view of the firm offers new insight into the causes and management of interfirm alliances. However, the development of an effective knowledge-based theory of alliance formation has been inhibited by a simplistic view of alliances as vehicles for organizational learning in which strategic alliances have presumed to be motivated by firms' desire to acquire knowledge from one another. We argue that the primary advantage of alliances over both firms and markets is in accessing rather than acquiring knowledge. Building upon the distinction between the knowledge generation ('exploration') and knowledge application ('exploitation'), we show that alliances contribute to the efficiency in the application of knowledge; first, by improving the efficiency with which knowledge is integrated into the production of complex goods and services, and second, by increasing the efficiency with which knowledge is utilized. These static efficiency advantages of alliances are enhanced where there is uncertainty over future knowledge requirements and where new products offer early-mover advantages. Compared with alternative learning-based approaches to alliance formation, our proposed knowledge-accessing theory of alliances offers the advantages of greater theoretical rigour and consistency with general trends in alliance activity and corporate strategy.
Identifying and Classifying the Determinant Factors of Knowledge Transfer in Strategic Alliances
… for the Global Future, 2006. PICMET …, 2006
Knowledge-based activities are the basis of sustainable competitive advantage in today's economy. Resource-and knowledge-based authors claim that firms should focus on the creation and accumulation of knowledge-based competencies in order to yield long-term survival. Several authors have emphasized the value addition of alliance relationships in the knowledge development and learning processes of organizations. Over the past decades, thanks to the opportunities provided by the inter-firm co-operations for knowledge transfer, knowledge access and learning, strategic alliances have become one of the most useful organizational form for creating new knowledge in technology, product and market development. This paper aims to identify and classify factors affecting knowledge transfer in strategic alliances. First, knowledge-related issues in strategic alliance literature are reviewed. Second, the importance of recognizing factors affecting knowledge transfer through strategic alliances is considered. Finally, the paper suggests a classification of factors that should be considered by alliance managers and all professionals involved in policy making, planning and executing inter-firm alliances. Four categories are distinguished: the characteristics of knowledge, the factors related to absorptive capacity, the reciprocal behavior of the partners, and finally, the nature and form of alliance activity.
Strategic Alliances in Knowledge-Intensive Industries: An Integrated View
JABM JOURNAL of ACCOUNTING - BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT
In this study, we examine strategic alliances between large pharmaceutical companies (LPCs) and new biotechnology firms (NBFs) in the knowledge-intensive biopharmaceutical industry in the light of two explanations for the motives behind R&D alliances, namely, the transaction cost explanation and the learning with flexibility explanation. We develop a series of propositions based on an integrated view of the motives behind strategic alliances in knowledge-based industries.
2016
1.INTRODUCTIONFor the last few decades a number of various types of collaboration between independent firms have been growing steadily (Harbison & Pekar, 1998, Anand & Khanna, 2000), and many of these collaborations have been developed under the umbrella of strategic alliances. In highly competitive global market, especially with the recession over last decade, strategic alliance has become an important way in achieving sustainable competitive advantage and strategic success (Parkhe, 1991). Strategic alliance can be analyzed as an organizational form in which independent organizations share the benefits of partnership in key strategic areas such as product design, production, marketing, distribution, technology (Arend & Amid 2005, Gulati 1998) and thus share the risk and costs of ongoing collaboration. Alternatively, strategic alliance is based on voluntary cooperative agreements of two or more firms to reach a common goal entailing the pooling of their resources and facilities (Par...
Inter-Firm Knowledge Transfer between Strategic Alliance Partners: A Way Forward
European Management Review, 2021
Strategic alliance (SA) is pursued by a diverse array of firms motivated by a range of factors. Among the SA themes, knowledge transfer (KT) has gained significant popularity over the past fifteen years. The developing literature is ontologically, epistemologically, and methodologically diverse. In spite of helpful reviews, the intellectual structure (up-stream decisions) of SA-KT research remains unclear, arguably resulting in the accidental rather than deliberate diversity potentially slowing the advancement of knowledge, its efficacy, its interpretation, and utility. By systematically analysing the intellectual structure of the empirical SA-KT studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2017 we address these shortcomings. The aim is to identify the preponderance of particular methods, and/or analytical procedures, developing the essence of the established research conventions. By reviewing the upstream rather than the more conventional downstream decisions, we offer an alternative approach to conducting systematic management literature reviews helpful to future researchers.
Interorganizational learning: A dynamic view on knowledge development in strategic alliances
2004
The objective of this paper is to develop a dynamic theory of interorganizational learning and knowledge acquisition in strategic alliances. Strategic alliances are becoming an increasingly important organizational form to gain access to new knowledge and to leverage existing knowledge. By establishing an alliance with one or more partners, an organization will gain valuable learning opportunities to acquire knowledge and to enhance its competitiveness. The degree with which the partners can realize their learning objectives is dependent on their absorptive capacities and the collaborative strategies adopted by the partners. These collaborative strategies may include the trust between alliance partners as well as the willingness to share existing knowledge. In order to gain insights into the dynamics of interorganizational learning and knowledge acquisition we propose a simulation model to test different conditions influencing the outcome of an alliance. Although the model is highly aggregated the results can improve our understanding of the key factors that influence the acquisition of knowledge in strategic alliances. We conclude the paper with a discussion for guidelines to assess and manage the outcome of strategic alliances.