This paper investigates the concept of Insemination Capacity proposed by (Imbert and Chauvet, 2012): the ability of an external firm to trigger a knowledge absorption sequence relative to the absorptive capacity of a knowledge-recipient firm. We collected data through an ethnographic-inspired methodology conducted as an embedded scholar within the Innovation Purchasing Direction of an automotive firm, an internal innovation scouting entity. The results of our investigations first extend this concept to an internal dissemination capacity which is made of the same four knowledge-related mechanisms than external insemination capacity: selection, adoption, contextualization and preservation of external knowledge. We also complete it with the identification of a fifth mechanism which is “people-related” which appears to be central for potential knowledge absorption. This mechanism is the enrollment, by the scouting entity, of Research and Development actors to become the internal holder of the external knowledge. Finally it appears that the trigger of absorptive capacity is made up of two sequences of knowledge-related mechanisms, linked by the people-related mechanism: the first is made apart by the internal scouting entity, the second together with enrolled R&D actors.
This paper presents the results of a study based on survey data from 160 managers from French supplier firms about the management of innovation cooperation with one of their client, with a dyadic view. The findings out of a hierarchical ascendant classification and principal component analysis indicates a taxonomy made of four governance types: (1) the “free” type with light contractual arrangement and few coordination mechanisms; (2) the “project-oriented” type implicating largely R&D entities, with contractual arrangement dedicated to the sole innovation project; (3) the “elaborated-partnership” type with complex contractual arrangement comprising mutual commitment and implication of all operational entities; and (4) the “exclusive-partnership” type with contractual arrangement including exclusive commitment, implication of operational entities and joint management of the relationship and of the innovation project. χ-2 statistical tests revealed the existence of a link between governance type and the maturity of the innovation project when both firms are involved, but not with the type and the extent of innovation. This study contributes to the literature on Early Supplier Involvement and on Open Innovation showing how supplier and client jointly organize their relationship regarding the timing of their common implication. Its main managerial implication is to underline the connection between the governance of joint innovation project and the governance of client-supplier relationship, both at inter-firm and intra-firm levels. For managers it implicates to take into consideration these numerous sides of the cooperation when integrating a supplier in an innovation project, or when being integrated in a client’s innovation project.
