EconPapers    
Economics at your fingertips  
 

Conflict and Co-Operation in Technology-Based Alliances

D. Jane Bower and William Keogh
Additional contact information
D. Jane Bower: Kinnell Technologies, 11 Lynedoch Place, Edinburgh EH3 7PX, United Kingdom
William Keogh: Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen AB24 4FP, United Kingdom

International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), 1997, vol. 01, issue 04, 387-409

Abstract: This paper focuses on conflicts of interest faced by technology-based firms which are embedded in an industry network. In the industry situation analysed here, issues have arisen as to how they can innovate effectively when judged from the perspective of their network partners while achieving their own internal objectives of growth and enhancement of innovative capability. The conceptual conclusions derived from the study are assessed for their generalisability to the global context of the oil industry, and to other industries in the United Kingdom (UK) and elsewhere. It is concluded that where a perceived conflict of interest arises in sharing leading edge technology, firms act in ways which are detrmental to the industrial network as a whole and, ultimately, to the technology leader firm itself. In order to maximise the returns to the technology-based firm, it must (i) select the group of clients/suppliers and portfolio of projects which offer the best spectrum of complementary resources in the light of its growth strategy; and (ii) structure its set of relationships to minimise the perceived risk to its competitive position. Thus, it must identify how to select, win and manage a portfolio of appropriately worded contracts, which collectively minimise its own and its multiple partners' conflicts of interest while ensuring that the required complementary resources will be forthcoming for current and future projects.

Keywords: Supply networks; conflict; appropriability; innovation strategy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1997
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.worldscientific.com/doi/abs/10.1142/S136391969700019X
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:01:y:1997:i:04:n:s136391969700019x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from

DOI: 10.1142/S136391969700019X

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim) is currently edited by Joe Tidd

More articles in International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim) from World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Tai Tone Lim ().

 
Page updated 2025-03-20
Handle: RePEc:wsi:ijimxx:v:01:y:1997:i:04:n:s136391969700019x