Persistence of, and Interrelation between, Horizontal and Vertical Technology Alliances

Journal of Management, March 2011

38 Pages Posted: 8 Jun 2011

See all articles by René Belderbos

René Belderbos

University of Leuven (KUL) - Department of Managerial Economics, Strategy and Innovation; Maastricht University - Department of Organization & Strategy

Victor A. Gilsing

Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) - Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS); Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM); Ministerie van Economische Zaken

Boris Lokshin

Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: June 8, 2011

Abstract

We explore to what extent there is persistence in, and interrelation between, alliance strategies with different partner types (customers, suppliers, competitors). In a panel dataset of innovation-active firms in the Netherlands during 1996-2004, we find persistence in alliance strategies with all three types of partners, but customer alliance strategies are more persistent than supplier alliance strategies and competitor alliance strategies. A positive interrelation between customer and supplier alliance strategies and a high persistence of joint supplier and customer alliance strategies are consistent with the advantages of value chain integration in innovation efforts. Prior engagement in horizontal (competitor) alliances increases the propensity to engage in vertical alliance strategies, but this effect only occurs with a longer lag. Overall, our findings suggest that alliance strategies with different partner types are both heterogeneous in persistence and (temporally) interrelated. This suggests that inter-temporal relationships between different types of alliances may be as important as their simultaneous relationship in alliance portfolios.

Keywords: alliance portfolios, persistence and interrelation of alliance strategies, horizontal alliances, vertical alliances, persistence of strategic collaboration, technological innovation

JEL Classification: O30, O32, L13

Suggested Citation

Belderbos, Rene and Gilsing, Victor A. and Lokshin, Boris, Persistence of, and Interrelation between, Horizontal and Vertical Technology Alliances (June 8, 2011). Journal of Management, March 2011, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1859999 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1859999

Rene Belderbos

University of Leuven (KUL) - Department of Managerial Economics, Strategy and Innovation ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium
+32 16 32 6912 (Phone)
+32 16 32 6732 (Fax)

Maastricht University - Department of Organization & Strategy ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, 6200 MD
Netherlands

Victor A. Gilsing

Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) - Eindhoven Center for Innovation Studies (ECIS) ( email )

P.O. Box 513
NL-5600 MB Eindhoven
Netherlands
+040 247 4435 (Phone)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
Room T08-21
3000 DR Rotterdam, 3000 DR
Netherlands
+31 10 4081945, 4081980 (Phone)
+31 10 4089015 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://web.eur.nl/fbk/dep/dep2/Staff/people/vgilsing

Ministerie van Economische Zaken ( email )

Bezuidenhoutseweg 20
Den Haag, 2594 AV
Netherlands
+31 70 354 3771 (Phone)
+31 70 379 7788 (Fax)

Boris Lokshin (Contact Author)

Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, 6200 MD
Netherlands
+31 43 388 3697 (Phone)
+31 43 325 4893 (Fax)

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