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Most studies concerning dominant designs focus on ‘collective’ or ‘competitive’ strategies that companies deploy to impose their choices on the market. The objective of this research is to assess the extent to which ‘coopetitive’ strategies may lead to a dominant design. We analyzed the development of a dominant design over an 84-year period through a historical study in the field of pinball machines. Our study focuses on the five main manufacturers of pinball machines and analyzes data from 1930 to 2014. We demonstrate that companies undergo three phases that involve the progressive development of coopetitive relationships with different impacts on the generation of innovation. Because manufacturers differentiated their offerings, innovated and simultaneously imitated others, increased competition resulted. Simultaneously, external threats and the need to collectively respond to clients and partners prompted the manufacturers to cooperate with one another. Thus, our research provides a better understanding of how specific horizontal coopetitive relationships among manufacturers of the same type of products impact the development of a dominant design at the industry level. This case study suggests that as a theoretical framework, coopetition introduces new insights into the comprehension of relational dynamics during the development of dominant designs. Our observations also confirm or invalidate conclusions drawn in previous works related to coopetition strategies. In particular, this case is interesting as although the appropriability regime was weak, companies still developed coopetitive relationships, contradicting previous studies.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between capabilities and renewal of organizational and business know-how in franchise networks. Design/methodology/approach This work uses a comparative case study of adaptive, absorptive and innovative capabilities to investigate knowledge renewal in 16 franchise networks. Findings The findings show that adaptive and innovative capabilities complement each other to foster know-how renewal. Furthermore, networks without internal R&D need to mobilize adaptive, absorptive and innovative capabilities to renew both organizational and business know-how. The findings also highlight that the three capabilities are interconnected. Research limitations/implications The results of this research could provide insights for franchise networks to regenerate their knowledge base and ensure their long-term survival. Originality/value The underlying capabilities that explain organizational and business know-how renewal in franchises have not been investigated.

Although scholars recognize the need to integrate stakeholders into business model innovation (BMI), little research has been done on the link between stakeholders’ roles and young ventures’ BMI, particularly in the accelerator context. We addressed this research gap by conducting a longitudinal multi-case study in two corporate accelerators using semi-structured interviews, observations and documentation from young ventures’ perspective. Our results offer a more granular understanding of how different stakeholders enable the configuration of young ventures’ initial BM and spur BMI. Specifically, the study provides some original insights into accelerator ecosystems, networking activities and the contributions of both to young ventures’ BMI.

Dynamic capabilities are based on organizational processes which differ according to the level of exploratory of the project. Is there a relationship between the characteristics of social network of project holders and the development of an exploratory capability? To answer that question, we collected data during four years on four teams involved in exploratory project in a semiconductor company. The network structure and type of ties facilitate the development of exploratory capabilities. In particular, core/periphery structure enhances the development of such capabilities.

Recent studies on new-idea generation and development have highlighted the role played by network structure in the genesis of new combinations or the process of selecting ideas. However, less attention has been paid to the factors that entice actors to shape social networks during the process of the development of new ideas. This research was conducted in an R&D facility of a semiconductor company. We analysed the generation of five creative projects and their development over a four-year period. We used a longitudinal approach and collected data through interviews and observations to identify the creative contributions and the actors who were involved at different time periods for each project. We mapped the relationships between actors who contributed to the development of each idea through creative thinking and/or helped it to become accepted both internally and externally over three-year windows. This method generated data on network evolution. We also carried out a qualitative analysis and identified four main factors explaining why actors turn to others during the idea-development process: (1) to gain access to information ; (2) to enhance credibility; (3) to exercise oneOs influence; and (4) to gain access to knowledge through people or objects. We demonstrate that different types of ties or network structures are relied upon to reap different kinds of benefits. This may partially explain network evolution as an idea progresses through different development stages. ª