Empirical Tests of Optimal Cognitive Distance

38 Pages Posted: 9 Mar 2004

See all articles by Stefan Wuyts

Stefan Wuyts

Catholic University of Leuven (KUL); Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

Massimo G. Colombo

Politecnico di Milano

Shantanu Dutta

University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business

Bart Nooteboom

Tilburg University - Tilburg University School of Economics and Management

Date Written: January 19, 2004

Abstract

This article provides empirical tests of the hypothesis of ‘optimal cognitive distance’, proposed by Nooteboom (1999, 2000), in two distinct empirical settings. Variety of cognition, needed for learning, has two dimensions: the number of agents with different cognition, and differences in cognition between them (cognitive distance). The hypothesis is that in interfirm relationships optimal learning entails a trade-off between the advantage of increased cognitive distance for a higher novelty value of a partner’s knowledge, and the disadvantage of less mutual understanding. If the value of learning is the mathematical product of novelty value and understandability, it has an inverse-U shaped relation with cognitive distance, with an optimum level that yields maximal value of learning. With auxiliary hypotheses, the hypothesis is tested on interfirm agreements between pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies, as well as on interfirm agreements in ICT industries.

Keywords: innovation, organizational learning, ICT, biotechnology, alliances

JEL Classification: L2, M, M10, L1

Suggested Citation

Wuyts, Stefan and Colombo, Massimo G. and Dutta, Shantanu and Nooteboom, Bart, Empirical Tests of Optimal Cognitive Distance (January 19, 2004). ERIM Report Series Reference No. ERS-2004-007-ORG, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=496713

Stefan Wuyts

Catholic University of Leuven (KUL) ( email )

Oude Markt 13
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant
Belgium
+32 16 325007 (Phone)
+32 16 324713 (Fax)

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

Massimo G. Colombo

Politecnico di Milano ( email )

Piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32
20113 Milan
Italy

Shantanu Dutta

University of Southern California - Marshall School of Business ( email )

Hoffman Hall 701
Los Angeles, CA 90089-1427
United States
213-740-5038 (Phone)
213-740-7828 (Fax)

Bart Nooteboom (Contact Author)

Tilburg University - Tilburg University School of Economics and Management ( email )

P.O. Box 90153
Tilburg, 5000 LE
Netherlands

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