Social Networks, Learning, and Flexibility: Sourcing Scientific Knowledge in New Biotechnology Firms

Julia Porter Liebeskind, Amalya Lumerman Oliver, Lynne Zucker () and Marilynn B. Brewer

No 5320, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We examine how two highly successful new biotechnology firms (NBFs) source their most critical input -- scientific knowledge. We find that scientists at the two NBFs enter into large numbers of collaborative research efforts with scientists at other organizations, especially universities. Formal market contracts are rarely used to govern these exchanges of scientific knowledge. Our findings suggest that the use of boundary-spanning social networks by the two NBFs increases both their learning and their flexibility in ways that would not be possible within a self-contained hierarchical organization.

Date: 1995-10
Note: PR
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (38)

Published as Starbuck, William H. and Suzanne G. Tilleman. (eds.) Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management. Volume 3. Learning by Populations of Organizations, Elgar Reference Collection. International Library of Critical Writings on Business and Management, vol. 9. Cheltenham, U.K. and Northampton, Mass.: Elgar, 2008.
Published as Julia Porter Liebeskind & Amalya Lumerman Oliver & Lynne Zucker & Marilynn Brewer, 1996. "Social networks, Learning, and Flexibility: Sourcing Scientific Knowledge in New Biotechnology Firms," Organization Science, vol 7(4), pages 428-443.

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.nber.org/papers/w5320.pdf (application/pdf)

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:nbr:nberwo:5320

Ordering information: This working paper can be ordered from
http://www.nber.org/papers/w5320

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc National Bureau of Economic Research, 1050 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138, U.S.A.. Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by ().