Auteurs
Miguel Rivera-Santos
Pierre Dussauge
Will Mitchell
Abstract
This paper explores the extent to which firms can independently control knowledge transfers to and from their alliance partners. We argue that the primary firm-controlled factors influencing knowledge transfers in an alliance are a firm’s intent to learn and its intent to protect. We explore their impact both on learning and on the unintentional leakage of knowledge, and we assess whether intent to learn and intent to protect conflict with or reinforce each other.
We test our predictions on a sample of 107 e-commerce alliances. We gathered the data through a questionnaire addressed to senior managers of e-commerce firms from around the world, whose firm was engaged in at least one alliance. We test the theoretical model we put forth in two steps. The first step develops a measurement model that tests the construct validity of the firm’s intent to learn and of its intent to protect in alliances, both constructed as latent variables. We test the measurement model with a confirmatory factor analysis using LISRELtype structural equation modeling. The second step tests our hypotheses by incorporating the measurement model into a structural model that assesses how both intents affect firm learning and leakage.
Our findings suggest that firms can use alliances as a reliable source of external knowledge, but that trade-offs between learning and leakage exist.
Auteurs
Miguel Rivera-Santos
Pierre Dussauge
Will Mitchell
Abstract
This paper explores the extent to which firms can independently control knowledge transfers to and from their alliance partners. We argue that the primary firm-controlled factors influencing knowledge transfers in an alliance are a firm’s intent to learn and its intent to protect. We explore their impact both on learning and on the unintentional leakage of knowledge, and we assess whether intent to learn and intent to protect conflict with or reinforce each other.
We test our predictions on a sample of 107 e-commerce alliances. We gathered the data through a questionnaire addressed to senior managers of e-commerce firms from around the world, whose firm was engaged in at least one alliance. We test the theoretical model we put forth in two steps. The first step develops a measurement model that tests the construct validity of the firm’s intent to learn and of its intent to protect in alliances, both constructed as latent variables. We test the measurement model with a confirmatory factor analysis using LISRELtype structural equation modeling. The second step tests our hypotheses by incorporating the measurement model into a structural model that assesses how both intents affect firm learning and leakage.
Our findings suggest that firms can use alliances as a reliable source of external knowledge, but that trade-offs between learning and leakage exist.
