IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v9y1998i3p396-410.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Professional Service Constellations: How Strategies and Capabilities Influence Collaborative Stability and Change

Author

Listed:
  • Candace Jones

    (Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167)

  • William S. Hesterly

    (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117)

  • Karin Fladmoe-Lindquist

    (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117)

  • Stephen P. Borgatti

    (Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167)

Abstract

Constellations—alliances among multiple firms—are used to perform complex, customized work in professional service. We examine two tensions inherent in multi-party collaborative work: managing hybrid systems, which are composed of individual and group tasks and outcomes, and aligning partners' logics of action. These two tensions provide firms the strategic choice with emphasizing individual or collective advantage. When constellation members pursue an individualist strategy, they employ an entrepreneurial logic. Constellations are a vehicle for honing their firm-distinctive expertise and enhancing their own opportunities. Given these firms' need for exposure to new learning and new markets from different partners and clients, the stability of the constellation is not of primary importance. This strategy promotes membership shifts in constellations and requires governance mechanisms for coordinating interactions among relative strangers. When constellation members pursue a collectivist strategy, they focus on their mutual benefits and employ a relational logic. Given these firms' need for intensifying relations with partners and clients, constellation members restrict interactions to certain select partners and clients and intensify their interactions. This strategy promotes stability in constellation membership and allows governance mechanisms specific to partners to develop. Due to positive feedback, these strategies develop certain capabilities and create specific relational patterns, which reinforce prior choices.

Suggested Citation

  • Candace Jones & William S. Hesterly & Karin Fladmoe-Lindquist & Stephen P. Borgatti, 1998. "Professional Service Constellations: How Strategies and Capabilities Influence Collaborative Stability and Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 396-410, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:9:y:1998:i:3:p:396-410
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.9.3.396
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.9.3.396
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.9.3.396?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert M. Grant, 1996. "Prospering in Dynamically-Competitive Environments: Organizational Capability as Knowledge Integration," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 375-387, August.
    2. Todd R. Zenger & William S. Hesterly, 1997. "The Disaggregation of Corporations: Selective Intervention, High-Powered Incentives, and Molecular Units," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(3), pages 209-222, June.
    3. Jeffrey H. Dyer, 1996. "Does Governance Matter? Keiretsu Alliances and Asset Specificity as Sources of Japanese Competitive Advantage," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(6), pages 649-666, December.
    4. Henk W. Volberda, 1996. "Toward the Flexible Form: How to Remain Vital in Hypercompetitive Environments," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 359-374, August.
    5. Pisano, Gary P, 1989. "Using Equity Participation to Support Exchange: Evidence from the Biotechnology Industry," The Journal of Law, Economics, and Organization, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 109-126, Spring.
    6. Africa Ariño & José de la Torre, 1998. "Learning from Failure: Towards an Evolutionary Model of Collaborative Ventures," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 306-325, June.
    7. Powell, Philip, 1992. "Beyond networking: The rise of the nebulous organisation," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 352-356, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Reuer, Jeffrey J. & Zollo, Maurizio, 2005. "Termination outcomes of research alliances," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(1), pages 101-115, February.
    2. Fu, Xiaolan, 2012. "How does openness affect the importance of incentives for innovation?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 512-523.
    3. Reuer, Jeffrey J. & Ariño, Africa, 2003. "Alliance dynamics for entrepreneurial firms," IESE Research Papers D/526, IESE Business School.
    4. Denford, James S. & Dawson, Gregory S. & Desouza, Kevin C., 2019. "Performance impacts of structure and volition in implementing policy through IT-enabled government-to-citizen and government-to-employee interactions," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 116-129.
    5. Stephan Weemaes & Johan Bruneel & Ann Gaeremynck & Jonas Debrulle, 2022. "Initial external knowledge sources and start-up growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 58(1), pages 523-540, January.
    6. Brion, Sébastien & Mothe, Caroline & Sabatier, Mareva, 2007. "What impacts more on innovation : Organizational context or individual competences ?," MPRA Paper 10595, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Paul E. Bierly III & Paula S. Daly, 2007. "Alternative Knowledge Strategies, Competitive Environment, and Organizational Performance in Small Manufacturing Firms," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 31(4), pages 493-516, July.
    8. Filipe M. Santos & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 2005. "Organizational Boundaries and Theories of Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(5), pages 491-508, October.
    9. Côrte-Real, Nadine & Oliveira, Tiago & Ruivo, Pedro, 2017. "Assessing business value of Big Data Analytics in European firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 379-390.
    10. Arie Y. Lewin & Chris P. Long & Timothy N. Carroll, 1999. "The Coevolution of New Organizational Forms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(5), pages 535-550, October.
    11. Akie Iriyama & Weilei Shi & John Prescott, 2014. "Frequency and directional reversal of equity ownership change in international joint ventures," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 215-243, March.
    12. Henk W. Volberda & Nicolai J. Foss & Marjorie A. Lyles, 2010. "PERSPECTIVE---Absorbing the Concept of Absorptive Capacity: How to Realize Its Potential in the Organization Field," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 931-951, August.
    13. Jeffrey J. Reuer & Elko Klijn & Shivaram Devarakonda & René Olie, 2024. "Veto rights in international joint ventures," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 55(7), pages 880-895, September.
    14. Jeffrey J. Reuer & Tony W. Tong, 2010. "Discovering Valuable Growth Opportunities: An Analysis of Equity Alliances with IPO Firms," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(1), pages 202-215, February.
    15. Volberda, H.W. & van den Bosch, F.A.J., 2004. "Rethinking the Dutch Innovation Agenda: Management and Organization Matter Most," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-009-STR, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    16. Muthusamy, Senthil Kumar & White, Margaret A., 2006. "Does power sharing matter? The role of power and influence in alliance performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 59(7), pages 811-819, July.
    17. Nilesh Saraf & Christoph Schlueter Langdon & Sanjay Gosain, 2007. "IS Application Capabilities and Relational Value in Interfirm Partnerships," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 18(3), pages 320-339, September.
    18. Anoop Madhok & Stephen B. Tallman, 1998. "Resources, Transactions and Rents: Managing Value Through Interfirm Collaborative Relationships," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 326-339, June.
    19. Huygens, M.W. & Baden-Fuller, C.W.F. & van den Bosch, F.A.J. & Volberda, H.W., 2001. "Coevolution of Firm Capabilities and Industry Competition," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2001-61-STR, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    20. Nicolai Foss, 2002. "'Coase vs Hayek': Economic Organization and the Knowledge Economy," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 9(1), pages 9-35.

    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:inm:ororsc:v:9:y:1998:i:3:p:396-410. 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: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    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.