AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings - Academy of International ...

MONDAY
Session: 2.2.5 - Competitive
Track: 6 - Innovation and Knowledge Mgmt.
Balancing Exploration and Exploitation
Presented On: July 2, 2012 - 10:45-12:00
Chair: Kazuhiro Asakawa, Keio University
International R&D Collaborations and Novelty of Product Innovation
Annique Un, Northeastern University
María Nieto, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
Lluis Santamaría, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
We analyze the impact of international research and development (R&D) collaborations on the novelty of
product innovation. Prior studies argue that access to diversity of knowledge external to the firm is important
for generating innovations; however, we do not know how it influences their novelty. We introduce two types of
knowledge distances, newness and diversity, of the firm's knowledge relative to its partners', and explain how
these distances impact the novelty of product innovation. Specifically, we argue that international R&D
collaborations have a higher positive impact on radical than incremental product innovations, because, in
contrast to incremental innovation, it requires greater knowledge distances, and foreign partners can provide
such knowledge. However, the cross-national variation in knowledge distances of the country of origin of the
partners lead to another proposition that, the higher the knowledge distances of the country of origin of the
partner, the higher is the impact on radical than incremental product innovations. The analysis of a panel of
firms operating in Spain for the period 2004-2007 supports the arguments. (For more information, please
contact: Annique Un, Northeastern University, USA: a.un@neu.edu)
The Role of Cross-National Knowledge on Organizational Ambidexterity: A Case of the Global Pharmaceutical
Industry
Denise Dunlap, Northeastern University
Tucker Marion, Northeastern University
John Friar, Northeastern University
Using a sample of 70 global pharmaceutical firms, this study examined how cross-national knowledge affected
the creation of exploitative (incremental) and explorative (breakthrough) types of technological innovations both
of which are necessary for organizational ambidexterity. We found that there were significant differences for
effectively using cross-national knowledge, which reinforces the need for organizational ambidexterity. The
data used to study cross-national knowledge consisted of patent analyses of commercialized products, which is
a step further than most studies that stop at just the patents themselves. Through the use of double-log
regression analysis, the results suggested a notable conclusion: while the sourcing of intra-firm, cross-national
knowledge enhanced explorative or breakthrough innovation, it did not enhance the development of exploitative
or incremental innovation. The paper concludes with managerial implications for managing ambidexterity. (For
more information, please contact: Denise Dunlap, Northeastern University, USA: d.dunlap@neu.edu)
Proactive Knowledge Replication: The Choice and Performance Effects of Using Principles or Templates in
Multinational Consulting Projects
James Oldroyd, Sungkyunkwan University
Shad Morris, Ohio State University
We seek to identify the antecedents and consequences of using two different forms of knowledge replication:
principles and templates. We predict that MNE consulting project leaders with strong local human capital or
strong international human capital are likely to differentially use knowledge. Moreover, we hypothesize that the
AIB 2012 Conference Proceedings
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