RECONCILING COMPETING INSTITUTIONAL LOGICS IN CORPORATE VENTURE CAPITAL UNITS

Marcel Ahlfänger, Magdalena Kohut () and Jens Leker ()
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Marcel Ahlfänger: Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Münster, Leonardo-Campus 1 48149 Münster, Germany
Magdalena Kohut: Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Münster, Leonardo-Campus 1 48149 Münster, Germany
Jens Leker: Institute of Business Administration at the Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Münster, Leonardo-Campus 1 48149 Münster, Germany

International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), 2020, vol. 24, issue 08, 1-33

Abstract: Prior literature highlights the competing institutional logics corporate venture capital (CVC) units have to face due to their intermediary position between the two environments in which they operate — the VC industry and the corporate firm. By conducting an inductive case study of 20 CVC units, we unravel how novel organisational subunits reconcile the conflicting logics in terms of their organisational structure. We show that, instead of fully aligning with one or the other environment, most units form hybrid organisations incorporating elements of both logics. Our data suggest that CVC units tend to follow the hybridisation strategy of selective coupling rather than apply strategies of compromising or decoupling. The type of structure depends on factors on the intra-, inter-organisational and industry level. We further suggest a specific hybridisation pattern that is especially beneficial in the achievement of a unit’s strategic objectives. Our findings contribute to both institutional theory and CVC literature.

Keywords: Corporate venture capital; start-ups; organisational structure; hybrid organisations; selective coupling; compromising; decoupling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1142/S1363919620400046

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