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This paper examines the adjustments firms make to the composition of their portfolios of technology-sourcing vehicles (i.e., alliance, acquisition, or go-it-alone) in response to poor innovative performance. We advance a behavioral perspective on the make/buy/ally question, suggesting that differences in financial slack will generate different portfolio decisions. Specifically, we posit that firms with greater levels of financial slack are more likely to respond to poor innovative performance by opting for (1) greater vehicle diversification, and (2) new sourcing vehicles, while firms with lessfinancial slack will respond by (1) downscoping their portfolio of sourcing vehicles, and (2) reverting to more familiar vehicles. We find support for our predictions using extensive data from the population of U.S. public pharmaceutical firms from 1992 to 2006.

A firm's organizational and technological boundaries are two important demarcation lines when sourcing for technology. Based on this theoretical lens, four possible combinations of exploration and exploitation emerge. Applying an ambidexterity perspective to a firm's technology sourcing strategy, we hypothesize that a curvilinear relationship exists between a firm's technology sourcing mix and its performance. We further introduce a contingency element by proposing that a firm's absorptive capacity exerts a positive moderating effect on this relationship. We empirically test these hypotheses on a random, multi-industry sample of U.S. manufacturing companies. We find support for the notion that the relationship between technology sourcing mix and firm performance is an inverted U-shape. Moreover, higher levels of absorptive capacity allow a firm to more fully capture the benefits resulting from ambidexterity in technology sourcing.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reveal the effects of different technology access modes on the successful integration of technological innovations. From the perspective of logistics service providers (LSPs), theoretical and managerial implications for the process of technology adoption are discovered. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a structured literature review of the state-of-the-art in technology adoption by LSPs. Drawing on the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) and absorptive capacity, the explorative case study research includes systematic analyses of ten technology projects conducted by seven different LSPs. Findings The findings illustrate that the technology access modes (make, buy and ally) prejudge the success of the integration process in terms of technology acceptance, as well as process quality, speed and costs of integration. This relationship is moderated by technology-, firm-, environment- and relation-related factors. Research limitations/implications The paper is limited by its qualitative research approach, only seven different LSPs were addressed. Furthermore, the scope of the investigated technologies is broad but not exhaustive. Practical implications For practitioners, research indicates that the way LSPs access technologies is highly related to a successful integration process. Therefore, the paper provides practical support for improving technology adoption. Originality/value As the link between LSPs’ technology access strategies and a successful integration process has been largely neglected thus far, this paper is the first contribution addressing this research gap. In this context, IDT and absorptive capacity are discussed for application to technology adoption in supply chain management research.

With external innovation becoming more and more important, many firms struggle with the question of how to balance their technology-sourcing portfolio. This study addresses this issue by looking at the effects of portfolio diversity on performance outcomes and the conditions under which diversity is most likely to materialize. Using a dataset of strategic investments by pharmaceutical firms, the results show that the variance in relative technological proximity between the focal firm and its partners exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with innovative performance and that this relationship is affected by the diversity of the external sourcing modes used in the portfolio.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of open innovation, understanding the dynamics of learning is pivotal for corporate success. Yet, the constraints and thresholds inherent in the novel technology sourcing processes remain under-explored. We study 163 firms during the third wave of corporate venture capital activity characterized by the primary focus on innovation to investigate the effects of technology sourcing ambidexterity (the simultaneous pursuit of internal and external sources of innovative ideas) on corporate patenting and realized innovation. Acknowledging limitations of organizational learning, our results indicate the presence of the inverted U-shaped relationship between technology sourcing ambidexterity and innovation and suggest that beyond a certain threshold, increases in ambidexterity are detrimental to organizational learning and corporate innovation because boundary conditions to experimentation as a key element to learning arise. Such restrictions are alleviated by organizational slack, which enhances organizational abilities to orchestrate resources and take calculated risks to go beyond existing internal competencies. Plain English Summary Proponents of open innovation suggest that combining internal and external sources of innovative ideas often leads to success. We demonstrate that this may be true in some circumstances, but there is a learning threshold for organizations. We argue and demonstrate that this combination, known as technological sourcing ambidexterity, is only beneficial up to a certain point, beyond which further investments in the dual internal–external search for innovative ideas are detrimental for reasons that have to do with organizational learning. Moreover, for those same reasons, the benefits are most likely to be observed for firms with substantial organizational slack. Lean organizations that do not have much slack are less likely to gain strategically from investing in technology sourcing ambidexterity.

Purpose Based on a theoretical framework of ambidexterity in technology sourcing beyond organizational and technological boundaries, this study aims to explore how start-ups balance technology sourcing in organizational ambidexterity (TSOA) to produce high venture performance. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey is distributed among start-ups in the science and technology park of a university in eastern China, producing a total of 45 valid responses. The fuzzy-set approach to qualitative comparative analysis is used in this study. Findings The findings show that start-ups achieve high venture performance through external technology sourcing (external exploration and exploitation) in the initial stage. In the growth stage, start-ups adopt external and internal technology sourcing (internal exploration and exploitation) to produce high venture performance. The technology sourcing strategy in ambidextrous activity for start-ups is punctuated equilibrium and evolving from the external ambidexterity to internally and externally coordinate ambidexterity at entrepreneurial stages. Originality/value This study creatively adopts configuration-based thinking to investigate how to balance TSOA for high venture performance, extending the literature on technology sourcing and contributing to the balance theory of exploration and exploitation.

This paper empirically investigates the influence of technological attributes on the sourcing of relevant production technologies by subsidiaries based in the Ibero-American region. We draw on the concept of strategic roles, internal embeddedness, capacity, and organizational learning. We gained rich insights into the topic through a focus on case studies of German Multinational Companies and their production subsidiaries based in Peru, Brazil, Colombia and Spain. Semi-structural interviews, observation of the sourced technology and other data collection techniques were applied, and a cross-case analysis was implemented to obtain the results. This paper suggests that across Ibero-American production subsidiaries, production technology with certain complexity related to their strategic roles is internally sourced. Finally, the strategic role of the subsidiary and technology familiarity is low; external sources will be chosen regardless of the complexity of the technology. The findings have important implications for technology managers of Ibero-American based subsidiaries, who are decision makers in the sourcing of production technologies and offer empirical evidence to understand the positioning of some Ibero-American markets in the global innovation map. Este documento investiga empíricamente la influencia de los atributos tecnológicos en la tercerización de tecnologías de producción relevantes por parte de filiales con sede en la región iberoamericana basándonos en los conceptos de roles estratégicos, integración interna, capacidad y aprendizaje organizacional. Obtuvimos información sobre el tema a través de un enfoque en estudios de casos de empresas multinacionales alemanas y sus subsidiarias de producción con sede en Perú, Brasil, Colombia y España. Se aplicaron entrevistas semiestructurales, observación de la tecnología de origen y otras técnicas de recopilación de datos, y se implementó un análisis de casos cruzados para obtener los resultados. Este documento sugiere que, en todas las filiales de producción iberoamericanas, las tecnologías de producción con cierta complejidad relacionada con roles estratégicos se obtienen internamente. Finalmente, el papel estratégico de la subsidiaria y la familiaridad con la tecnología es bajo; se elegirán fuentes externas independientemente de la complejidad de la tecnología. Los hallazgos tienen implicaciones importantes para los gerentes de tecnología de las subsidiarias con sede en Iberoamérica, quienes toman decisiones respecto a la tercerización de tecnologías de producción, y ofrecen evidencia empírica para comprender el posicionamiento de algunos mercados iberoamericanos en el mapa de innovación global. Este documento investiga empiricamente a influência dos atributos tecnológicos na terceirização de tecnologias de produção relevantes por subsidiárias situadas na região ibero-americana, com base nos conceitos de papéis estratégicos, integração interna, capacidade e aprendizagem organizacional. As informações sobre o tema foram obtidas por meio de um estudo de caso de empresas multinacionais alemãs e suas subsidiárias de produção localizadas no Peru, Brasil, Colômbia e Espanha. Foram aplicadas entrevistas semiestruturadas, observação da tecnologia de origem e outras técnicas de coleta de dados, e realizou-se uma análise cruzada dos casos para a obtenção dos resultados. O estudo sugere que, em todas as subsidiárias de produção ibero-americanas, as tecnologias de produção com certo grau de complexidade relacionado aos papéis estratégicos são adquiridas internamente. Por fim, quando o papel estratégico da subsidiária e a familiaridade com a tecnologia são baixos, opta-se por fontes externas, independentemente da complexidade da tecnologia. Os achados têm implicações importantes para os gerentes de tecnologia das subsidiárias sediadas na Ibero-América, que tomam decisões sobre a terceirização de tecnologias de produção, e oferecem evidências empíricas para compreender o posicionamento de alguns mercados ibero-americanos no mapa global de inovação.

In today's turbulent business environment innovation is the result of the interplay between two distinct but related factors: endogenous R&D efforts and (quasi) external acquisition of technology and know-how. Given the increasing importance of innovation, it is vital to understand more about the alternative mechanism—such as alliances and acquisitions—that can be used to enhance the innovative performance of companies. Most of the literature has dealt with these alternatives as isolated issues. Companies, however, are constantly challenged to choose between acquisitions and strategic alliances, given the limited resources that can be spent on research and development. This paper contributes to the literature because it focuses on the choice between innovation-related alliances and acquisitions. We focus on the question of how the trade-off between strategic alliances and acquisitions is influenced by previous direct and indirect ties between firms in an industry network of interfirm alliances. We formulate hypotheses pertaining to the number of direct ties between two companies, their proximity in the overall alliance network, and their centrality in that network. In so doing, we distinguish between ties that connect firms from the same and from different industry segments, and those that connect firms from the same or from different world regions. These hypotheses are tested on a sample of strategic alliances and acquisitions in the application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC) industry. The findings show that a series of strategic alliances between two partners increases the probability that one will ultimately acquire the other. Whereas previous direct contacts tend to lead to an acquisition, this is not true of previous indirect contacts, which increase the probability that a link between the companies, once it is forged, takes the form of a strategic alliance. In the case of acquisitions, firms that are more centrally located in the network of interfirm alliances tend to be acquirers, and firms with a less central position tend to become acquired. These findings underscore the importance of taking previously formed interfirm linkages into account when explaining the choice between strategic alliances and acquisitions, as these existing links influence the transaction costs associated with both alternatives.

This paper examines the determinants of technology transfer between parent firms and their international affiliates, and of knowledge spillovers from those affiliates to host-country firms. Using a unique data set of foreign multinational enterprise (MNE) affiliates based in Italy, we find that affiliate investment in R&D and investment in capital-embodied technology plays a significant role in determining the nature of intra-firm technology flows. However, the basis for any spillovers arising from MNE affiliates does not originate from codified knowledge associated with R&D, but rather from the productivity of the affiliate.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate how buyers and the vendors pursue alignment in collaborative purchasing (CP) of complex medical technologies. Design/methodology/approach - Through a literature review in CP, the paper identify factors for shareholder alignment (i.e. aligning the needs of the buyers within the purchasing group) and customer alignment (i.e. aligning buyers' needs with the vendors offering strategies) and investigate how they manifest in the case of CP of complex technology in the Danish National Healthcare System. Findings - Shareholder alignment requires appropriate management of the relationships, expertise and guidance in simplifying procedures and effective management of the purchasing group. Customer alignment is facilitated by buyers' understating of the vendor's design options, which are moderated by the vendor's design strategies. Research limitations/implications - The findings and generalizations from a single case study are limited to the complexity of the purchased technology and the specific cultural context. However the paper represents the first explorative study that poses the attention on the relevance of shareholder and customer alignment in CP. Practical implications - The study can offer hospitals, vendors, governmental and regional institutions a better understanding about the alignment mechanisms for successful implementation of CP and how to avoid pitfalls. Originality/value - Literature on CP is scarce as there are virtually no contributions that debate the key elements and tradeoffs that need to be considered for strategic alignment. The study addresses this gap.