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Based on the theory of resource dependence, a continuum of absorbing dependency exists between firms from least- to most-constraining. Extending this line of research, we propose that the boundary conditions from least- to most-constraining could moderate the performance implication of inter-organizational relationships. We further argue that different absorbing strategies can be identified by the degree of ownership-based arrangements. Using the empirical context of inter-organizational R&D relationships within the Taiwan biopharmaceutical industry, we explore the impact of inter-organizational R&D relationships on firm performance and examine how this relationship could be affected by different absorbing strategies. Specifically, we find that four strategies -- ownership-based arrangement, complementary alliance portfolio, supplementary alliance portfolio, and resource endowment -- play different roles in the continuum of absorbing the dependency between firms. All of them strengthen the link between inter-organizational R&D relationships and firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previous studies show that the effect of dispersed innovation on firm innovativeness remains unclear, we focus on contingencies that help us understand the mechanisms through which firms manage their innovation activities across locations. We present four findings that explain how dispersed innovation influence firm innovativeness. First, the greater the dispersed innovation, the higher innovativeness the firm performs. Second, the effect of dispersed innovation on firm innovativeness is larger when a corporate-wide offshoring strategy is adopted by the firm. Third, the effect of dispersed innovation on firm innovativeness is larger when the governance mode of captive operations is taken. Fourth, while the benefits of diversity and learning may guide firms to offshore many innovation activities across geographical locations, they are able to gain the most returns from dispersed innovation when they highlight the advantages of orchestration and ownership by adopting both a corporate-wide offshoring strategy and a captive governance mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the theory of resource dependence, this study tries to put forward an examination on the absorbing mechanisms of resource dependency which could influence the link between inter-organizational R&D relationships and firm performance. This study posits boundary conditions such as ownership-based arrangement, complementary alliance portfolio, supplementary alliance portfolio, and resource endowment to unveil possible absorbing mechanisms of resource dependency. Using the empirical context of Taiwan biopharmaceutical industry, this study shows several important findings that explain the impact of inter-organizational R&D relationships on firm performance and how a firm can adopt different absorbing mechanisms of resource dependency to moderate such an impact. Specifically, the three mechanisms of ownership-based arrangement, complementary alliance portfolio, and supplementary alliance portfolio play different roles in the continuum of absorbing the dependency between firms and strengthen the link between inter-organizational R&D relationships and firm performance. Moreover, possessing resource endowment enhances the positive impact of inter-organizational R&D relationships and firm performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a theoretical framework for the study of globally offshoring innovations and firm innovativeness by examining both benefits and costs of geographic dispersion over 89 countries. Data on 541 global companies from 2005 to 2011 show a consistent horizontal S-curve relationship between dispersed innovations and firm innovativeness. Further, firms implementing a corporate-wide offshoring strategy could achieve greater innovativeness gains from an increase in the scope of geographical dispersion. Our framework and findings have implications for theory and contribute to research on the broader phenomenon of the internationalization and globalization of innovation by delving into the influence of dispersed innovations on firm innovativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores whether firms should collaborate with other powerful firms in the same market and, if so, when. This study bridges the gap on the existent mixed arguments about whether to collaborate with powerful firms by examining and contrasting two distinct signaling mechanisms social status and market power and by exploring the moderating effect of self-reproducing complementary role on the relation between signaling mechanisms and inter-firm collaboration. Using empirical context of the syndicated underwritings within the U.S. investment banks from 1998 to 2015, the results of this study show that firms, especially the lower social status ones, are more likely to collaborate with other higher social status firms when social status is seen as a signal of cooperation. Also the results indicate that firms, especially the lower market power ones, are less likely to partner with other high market power firms when market power is thought of a signal of competition. Most importantly, the results demonstrate that a firm's self-reproducing role in complementarity could enhance the signaling effect of social status on the formation of collaboration but decrease the signaling effect of market power on the formation of collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on inter-firm networking, this paper analyzes how the structuring of external relations and internal resources affects firm performance. While previous studies from single fields have focused on one of these specific mechanisms, we concomitantly present and compare the two mechanisms ?V network portfolio and resource endowment ?V to study their moderating effects on the relation between sole external networks and firm performance. Our analysis shows several important findings. Our first finding shows that although the external R&D ties lead to better firm performance, the positive effect would decrease after the threshold. Our second finding suggests that network portfolio moderates the relation between external networks and firm performance, revealing that a diverse portfolio of relations a firm constructs prevents it from relying on specific sole external networks such as external R&D ties. Our third finding indicates that resource endowment also moderates the relation between sole external networks and firm performance, showing that a large number of patents a firm holds keep it from depending on the specific external relations. More importantly, as resource endowment complements network portfolio, both are required by firms to effectively strategize their actions in order to manage the potential impact of over-dependence on sole external networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is intended to complement the existing literature on the performance of venture capital (VC) investments by presenting a multiple principal-agency framework for examining partner selection strategies aimed at mitigating uncertainties in the causes of investment performance and their boundary conditions. Using a dataset of VC investments from 1980 and 2008 in the U.S., we separated independent VC (IVC) firms and corporate VC (CVC) firms into two different datasets. We found that the existence of industrial and geographic uncertainties was shown to negatively affect the performance of IVC investments. Other things being equal, the preference for IVC firms as partners led to superior performance by CVC firms. However, from the homophily and resource perspectives, if various VC-specific uncertainties are considered to be contextual factors, one would expect CVC firms to be selected as partners by either IVC or CVC firms as a way to increase the probability of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on offshoring innovations, this paper analyzes how dispersed innovations affect firm innovativeness. While previous studies show that the effect of dispersed innovations on firm innovativeness remains unclear, we present four findings that explain how dispersed innovations influence firm innovativeness. First, the greater the dispersed innovations, the higher innovativeness the firm performs. Second, the effect of dispersed innovations on firm innovativeness is larger when a corporate-wide offshoring strategy is adopted by the firm. Third, the effect of dispersed innovations on firm innovativeness is larger when the governance mode of captive operations is taken. Fourth, while the benefits of diversity and learning may guide firms to offshore many innovation activities across geographical locations, firms are able to gain the most returns from dispersed innovations when they highlight the advantages of orchestration and ownership by adopting both a corporate-wide offshoring strategy and a captive governance mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]