IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/iburev/v24y2015i2p196-208.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Competitive embeddedness: The impact of competitive relations among a firm's current alliance partners on its new alliance formations

Author

Listed:
  • Park, Gunno
  • Kim, Marco JinHwan
  • Kang, Jina

Abstract

Over the last decades, alliance portfolio has been an important research area within the management and international business fields. Since engaging in multiple alliances provides many advantages to firms, the extant literature rather highlights the positive side of alliance portfolios. But, at the same time, focal firms of alliance portfolios sometimes suffer from competitive relations among their partners. By applying a competitive embeddedness lens, we examine the influence of competitive relations among partners within an alliance portfolio on the focal firm's alliance formations. Also, we examine the role of the focal firm's resources which moderate the relation between competition among its partners and its alliance formations. We investigated 2539 cases of global technology alliances in the biopharmaceutical industry from 2002 to 2006 through negative binomial regression. Our findings indicate that a holistic approach toward alliance portfolios to prevent competition among partners is significant for sustainable alliance strategies. Moreover, we suggest that firm resources which attract partners also lessen the impact of competition among alliances.

Suggested Citation

  • Park, Gunno & Kim, Marco JinHwan & Kang, Jina, 2015. "Competitive embeddedness: The impact of competitive relations among a firm's current alliance partners on its new alliance formations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 196-208.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:24:y:2015:i:2:p:196-208
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2014.07.009
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969593114001140
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2014.07.009?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joel A. C. Baum & Tony Calabrese & Brian S. Silverman, 2000. "Don't go it alone: alliance network composition and startups' performance in Canadian biotechnology," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 267-294, March.
    2. David J. TEECE, 2008. "Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: The Transfer And Licensing Of Know-How And Intellectual Property Understanding the Multinational Enterprise in the Modern World, chapter 5, pages 67-87, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    3. Tarun Khanna, 1998. "The Scope of Alliances," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 340-355, June.
    4. Weijan Shan & Gordon Walker & Bruce Kogut, 1994. "Interfirm cooperation and startup innovation in the biotechnology industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(5), pages 387-394, June.
    5. Werner H. Hoffmann, 2007. "Strategies for managing a portfolio of alliances," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(8), pages 827-856, August.
    6. Gautam Ahuja, 2000. "The duality of collaboration: inducements and opportunities in the formation of interfirm linkages," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 317-343, March.
    7. Weijian Shan, 1990. "An empirical analysis of organizational strategies by entrepreneurial high‐technology firms," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 129-139, February.
    8. Gunno Park & Jina Kang, 2009. "The Effects of Teacher Firms: Characteristics and Student Firms: Absorptive Capacity on Firm Performance in Technology Alliances," TEMEP Discussion Papers 200909, Seoul National University; Technology Management, Economics, and Policy Program (TEMEP), revised Aug 2009.
    9. Hagedoorn, J. & Letterie, W.A. & Palm, F.C., 2007. "On the information value of (un)embedded network ties," Research Memorandum 004, Maastricht University, Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organization (METEOR).
    10. Gordon Walker & Bruce Kogut & Weijian Shan, 1997. "Social Capital, Structural Holes and the Formation of an Industry Network," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(2), pages 109-125, April.
    11. Geert Duysters & John Hagedoorn & Charmianne Lemmens, 2003. "The effect of alliance block membership on innovative performance," Revue d'Économie Industrielle, Programme National Persée, vol. 103(1), pages 59-70.
    12. Cameron, A Colin & Trivedi, Pravin K, 1986. "Econometric Models Based on Count Data: Comparisons and Applications of Some Estimators and Tests," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 1(1), pages 29-53, January.
    13. Ulrich Wassmer, 2010. "Alliance Portfolios : A Review and Research Agenda," Post-Print hal-02313048, HAL.
    14. Narula, Rajneesh & Duysters, Geert, 2004. "Globalisation and trends in international R&D alliances," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 199-218.
    15. Arvind Parkhe, 1991. "Interfirm Diversity, Organizational Learning, and Longevity in Global Strategic Alliances," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 22(4), pages 579-601, December.
    16. Anoop Madhok, 1995. "Revisiting Multinational firm's Tolerance for Joint Ventures: A Trust-Based approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(1), pages 117-137, March.
    17. Malik, Tariq, 2012. "Disparate association between alliance social capital and the global pharmaceutical firm's performance," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 1017-1028.
    18. John Hagedoorn, 1993. "Understanding the rationale of strategic technology partnering: Interorganizational modes of cooperation and sectoral differences," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(5), pages 371-385, July.
    19. Duysters, Geert & de Man, Ard-Pieter & Wildeman, Leo, 1999. "A network approach to alliance management," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 17(2), pages 182-187, April.
    20. Frank T. Rothaermel & Warren Boeker, 2008. "Old technology meets new technology: complementarities, similarities, and alliance formation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(1), pages 47-77, January.
    21. Arora, Ashish & Gambardella, Alfonso, 1994. "Evaluating technological information and utilizing it : Scientific knowledge, technological capability, and external linkages in biotechnology," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 24(1), pages 91-114, June.
    22. Cepeda, Gabriel & Vera, Dusya, 2007. "Dynamic capabilities and operational capabilities: A knowledge management perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(5), pages 426-437, May.
    23. Toby E. Stuart, 2000. "Interorganizational alliances and the performance of firms: a study of growth and innovation rates in a high‐technology industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(8), pages 791-811, August.
    24. Mitchell, Will & Singh, Kulwant, 1992. "Incumbents' use of pre-entry alliances before expansion into new technical subfields of an industry," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 18(3), pages 347-372, August.
    25. Krattenmaker, Thomas G & Salop, Steven C, 1986. "Competition and Cooperation in the Market for Exclusionary Rights," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(2), pages 109-113, May.
    26. Jakki Mohr & Robert Spekman, 1994. "Characteristics of partnership success: Partnership attributes, communication behavior, and conflict resolution techniques," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 15(2), pages 135-152, February.
    27. J. Scott Long & Jeremy Freese, 2006. "Regression Models for Categorical Dependent Variables using Stata, 2nd Edition," Stata Press books, StataCorp LP, edition 2, number long2, March.
    28. Phillips McDougall, Patricia & Shane, Scott & Oviatt, Benjamin M., 1994. "Explaining the formation of international new ventures: The limits of theories from international business research," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 9(6), pages 469-487, November.
    29. Narin, Francis & Noma, Elliot & Perry, Ross, 1987. "Patents as indicators of corporate technological strength," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 16(2-4), pages 143-155, August.
    30. Håkansson, Per & Kjellberg, Hans & Lundgren, Anders, 1993. "Strategic alliances in global biotechnology -- a network approach," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 2(1), pages 65-82.
    31. Ranjay Gulati, 1999. "Network location and learning: the influence of network resources and firm capabilities on alliance formation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 20(5), pages 397-420, May.
    32. Bruce Kogut, 1988. "Joint ventures: Theoretical and empirical perspectives," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), pages 319-332, July.
    33. Tim Rowley & Dean Behrens & David Krackhardt, 2000. "Redundant governance structures: an analysis of structural and relational embeddedness in the steel and semiconductor industries," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(3), pages 369-386, March.
    34. Roberto S. Vassolo & Jaideep Anand & Timothy B. Folta, 2004. "Non‐additivity in portfolios of exploration activities: a real options‐based analysis of equity alliances in biotechnology," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(11), pages 1045-1061, November.
    35. Dong, Li & Glaister, Keith W., 2006. "Motives and partner selection criteria in international strategic alliances: Perspectives of Chinese firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 15(6), pages 577-600, December.
    36. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Claudia Bird Schoonhoven, 1996. "Resource-based View of Strategic Alliance Formation: Strategic and Social Effects in Entrepreneurial Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(2), pages 136-150, April.
    37. Andrew C. Inkpen, 2000. "Learning Through Joint Ventures: A Framework Of Knowledge Acquisition," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(7), pages 1019-1044, November.
    38. Daniel A. Levinthal & James G. March, 1993. "The myopia of learning," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(S2), pages 95-112, December.
    39. Nielsen, Bo Bernhard, 2007. "Determining international strategic alliance performance: A multidimensional approach," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 337-361, June.
    40. Jean‐Francois Hennart, 1988. "A transaction costs theory of equity joint ventures," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(4), pages 361-374, July.
    41. MB Sarkar & Preet S. Aulakh & Anoop Madhok, 2009. "Process Capabilities and Value Generation in Alliance Portfolios," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 20(3), pages 583-600, June.
    42. Bruce Kogut, 1991. "Joint Ventures and the Option to Expand and Acquire," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 37(1), pages 19-33, January.
    43. Salop, Steven C & Scheffman, David T, 1983. "Raising Rivals' Costs," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 73(2), pages 267-271, May.
    44. Balaji R. Koka & John E. Prescott, 2008. "Designing alliance networks: the influence of network position, environmental change, and strategy on firm performance," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 639-661, June.
    45. Ann Echols & Wenpin Tsai, 2005. "Niche and performance: the moderating role of network embeddedness," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 219-238, March.
    46. Giovanni Dosi, 2000. "Sources, Procedures, and Microeconomic Effects of Innovation," Chapters, in: Innovation, Organization and Economic Dynamics, chapter 2, pages 63-114, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    47. Deeds, David L. & Hill, Charles W. L., 1996. "Strategic alliances and the rate of new product development: An empirical study of entrepreneurial biotechnology firms," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 11(1), pages 41-55, January.
    48. William H. Greene, 1994. "Accounting for Excess Zeros and Sample Selection in Poisson and Negative Binomial Regression Models," Working Papers 94-10, New York University, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Department of Economics.
    49. Coviello, Nicole & Munro, Hugh, 1997. "Network relationships and the internationalisation process of small software firms," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 361-386, August.
    50. Nitin Nohria & Carlos Garcia‐Pont, 1991. "Global strategic linkages and industry structure," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 12(S1), pages 105-124, June.
    51. Henrich R. Greve & Hitoshi Mitsuhashi & Joel A. C. Baum, 2013. "Greener Pastures: Outside Options and Strategic Alliance Withdrawal," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 79-98, February.
    52. Seungwha (Andy) Chung & Harbir Singh & Kyungmook Lee, 2000. "Complementarity, status similarity and social capital as drivers of alliance formation," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(1), pages 1-22, January.
    53. Stuart, Toby E. & Ozdemir, Salih Zeki & Ding, Waverly W., 2007. "Vertical alliance networks: The case of university-biotechnology-pharmaceutical alliance chains," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 477-498, May.
    54. Arora, Ashish & Gambardella, Alfonso, 1990. "Complementarity and External Linkages: The Strategies of the Large Firms in Biotechnology," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 38(4), pages 361-379, June.
    55. Dovev Lavie, 2007. "Alliance portfolios and firm performance: A study of value creation and appropriation in the U.S. software industry," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(12), pages 1187-1212, December.
    56. Brian S. Silverman, 1999. "Technological Resources and the Direction of Corporate Diversification: Toward an Integration of the Resource-Based View and Transaction Cost Economics," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 45(8), pages 1109-1124, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Minkyung Choy & Gunno Park, 2016. "Sustaining Innovative Success: A Case Study on Consumer-Centric Innovation in the ICT Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(10), pages 1-13, September.
    2. Paul Chiambaretto & Ulrich Wassmer, 2019. "Resource utilization as an internal driver of alliance portfolio evolution: The Qatar Airways case (1993-2010)," Post-Print hal-02517645, HAL.
    3. Yue Li & Hang Guo & Sarah Yvonne Cooper & Hongqi Wang, 2019. "The Influencing Factors of the Technology Standard Alliance Collaborative Innovation of Emerging Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Kwangsoo Shin & Sang Ji Kim & Gunno Park, 2016. "How does the partner type in R&D alliances impact technological innovation performance? A study on the Korean biotechnology industry," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 141-164, March.
    5. Doohee Chung & Marco Jinhwan Kim & Jina Kang, 2019. "Influence of alliance portfolio diversity on innovation performance: the role of internal capabilities of value creation," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 13(5), pages 1093-1120, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Colombo, Massimo G. & Grilli, Luca & Piva, Evila, 2006. "In search of complementary assets: The determinants of alliance formation of high-tech start-ups," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(8), pages 1166-1199, October.
    2. Cobeña, Mar & Gallego, Ángeles & Casanueva, Cristóbal, 2017. "Heterogeneity, diversity and complementarity in alliance portfolios," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 464-476.
    3. Manuela N. Hoehn-Weiss & Samina Karim & Chi-Hyon Lee, 2017. "Examining Alliance Portfolios Beyond the Dyads: The Relevance of Redundancy and Nonuniformity Across and Between Partners," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 28(1), pages 56-73, February.
    4. Zhang, Jing & Baden-Fuller, Charles & Mangematin, Vincent, 2007. "Technological knowledge base, R&D organization structure and alliance formation: Evidence from the biopharmaceutical industry," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 515-528, May.
    5. Castro, Ignacio & Casanueva, Cristóbal & Galán, José Luis, 2014. "Dynamic evolution of alliance portfolios," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 423-433.
    6. Jing Zhang & Charles Baden-Fuller & Vincent Mangematin, 2007. "Technological Knowledge Base, R&D Organization Structure and Alliance Formation: Evidence from the Biopharmaceutical Industry," Post-Print hal-00424512, HAL.
    7. Pinar Ozcan, 2018. "Growing with the market: How changing conditions during market growth affect formation and evolution of interfirm ties," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(2), pages 295-328, February.
    8. Golonka, Monika, 2015. "Proactive cooperation with strangers: Enhancing complexity of the ICT firms' alliance portfolio and their innovativeness," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 168-178.
    9. Haider, Sajjad & Mariotti, Francesca, 2016. "The orchestration of alliance portfolios: The role of alliance portfolio capability," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 127-141.
    10. Casanueva, Cristóbal & Gallego, Ángeles & Sancho, María, 2013. "Network resources and social capital in airline alliance portfolios," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(C), pages 441-453.
    11. Bae, Joonhyung & Ozmel, Umit, 2024. "The interplay between product development failures and alliance portfolio properties in the formation of exploration versus exploitation alliances," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    12. Wim Vanhaverbeke & Victor Gilsing & Bonnie Beerkens & Geert Duysters, 2009. "The Role of Alliance Network Redundancy in the Creation of Core and Non‐core Technologies," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 46(2), pages 215-244, March.
    13. Belderbos, Rene & Gilsing, Victor & Lokshin, Boris, 2009. "Persistence of and interrelation between horizontal and vertical technology alliances," MERIT Working Papers 2009-065, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    14. Mouri, Nacef & Sarkar, M.B. & Frye, Melissa, 2012. "Alliance portfolios and shareholder value in post-IPO firms: The moderating roles of portfolio structure and firm-level uncertainty," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 355-371.
    15. Ashton Hawk & Jeffrey J. Reuer & Andrew Garofolo, 2021. "The Impact of Firm Speed Capabilities on the Decision to Partner or Go It Alone," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 191-208, September.
    16. Devarakonda, Ramakrishna & Reuer, Jeffrey J. & Tadikonda, Harsha, 2022. "Founder social capital and value appropriation in R&D alliance agreements," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(4).
    17. Vanhaverbeke, W.P.M. & Beerkens, B.E. & Duysters, G.M., 2003. "Explorative and exploitative learning strategies in technology-based alliance networks," Working Papers 03.22, Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies.
    18. Haeussler, Carolin & Patzelt, Holger & Zahra, Shaker A., 2012. "Strategic alliances and product development in high technology new firms: The moderating effect of technological capabilities," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 217-233.
    19. Soh, Pek-Hooi, 2003. "The role of networking alliances in information acquisition and its implications for new product performance," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 18(6), pages 727-744, November.
    20. Pangarkar, Nitin & Yuan, Lin & Hussain, Sairah, 2017. "Too much of a good thing? Alliance portfolio size and alliance expansion," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 35(4), pages 477-485.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:24:y:2015:i:2:p:196-208. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/133/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.