Many roads lead to Rome: Implications of geographic scope as a source of isolating mechanisms

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kim, Minyoung
• 署名单位: University of Kansas
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/jibs.2013.39
• 发表日期: 2013
• 页码: 898-921
• 关键词: geographic scope; isolating mechanisms; EQUIFINALITY; functional equivalence; fuzzy-set methods

摘要

Studies examining the competitive implications of geographic scope have largely focused on creating competitive advantage. In an attempt to investigate a less-illuminated role of geographic scope - that of sustaining competitive advantage - this paper investigates the sources of and relationships among the causal factors leading to creation of isolating mechanisms or barriers to imitation. This paper first distinguishes two sources of causal factors linked to the creation of isolating mechanisms, intrinsic characteristics of knowledge, and geographic scope of knowledge acquisition, and then investigates the relationships among the causal factors from the two sources. Employing the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis method, this paper examines equifinality and functional equivalence of causal factors from the two sources. Empirical analyses with United States Patent and Trademark Office patent data of the semiconductor industry corroborate the main thesis of the paper that multiple paths can lead to the creation of isolating mechanisms and, in these paths, causal factors from the two sources of isolating mechanisms can be functionally equivalent. The results also provide managerial implications that firms with different sets of resources and capabilities can implement different types of isolating strategies to sustain their competitive advantage.