Balancing exploration and exploitation in alliance formation

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Lavie, Dovev; Rosenkopf, Lori
• 署名单位: University of Texas System; University of Texas Austin; University of Pennsylvania
• 刊物名称: ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0001-4273
• DOI: 10.5465/AMJ.2006.22083085
• 发表日期: 2006
• 页码: 797-818
• 关键词: ABSORPTIVE-CAPACITY; STRATEGIC ALLIANCES; PROCESS MANAGEMENT; dynamic-model; LOCAL SEARCH; INNOVATION; networks; inertia; performance; Similarity

摘要

Do firms balance exploration and exploitation in their alliance formation decisions and, if so, why and how? We argue that absorptive capacity and organizational inertia impose conflicting pressures for exploration and exploitation with respect to the value chain function of alliances, the attributes of partners, and partners' network positions. Although path dependencies reinforce either exploration or exploitation within each of these domains, we find that firms balance their tendencies to explore and exploit over time and across domains.