Su, Peiran and McNamara, Peter
(2012)
Exploration and exploitation within and
across intra-organisational domains and
their reactions to firm-level failure.
Technology Analysis & Strategic Management, 24 (2).
pp. 129-149.
ISSN 0953-7325
Abstract
This study examines the evolution of exploration and exploitation within intra-organisational
domains, specifically, the technological and market knowledge domains in high-technology
firms. It simultaneously tests the interaction between exploration and exploitation across
domains. Furthermore, this paper examines the impact of firm-level failure experience on
exploration and exploitation within each domain. Based on longitudinal analysis of crossnational
panel data on drug development initiatives obtained from 191 biopharmaceutical firms
from 1990 to 2008, we find a negative relationship between firms’ innovation experience and
exploration orientation within domains. Technological exploration and market exploration are
competing with each other. We further find that failure experience stimulates technological
search but not market search. This work contributes to the exploration and exploitation literature
by extending domain separation to the internal context of an organisation theoretically and
empirically. It further contributes by using performance feedback theory to explore the impact
of failure on exploration and exploitation.
| Item Type: |
Article
|
| Additional Information: |
The definitive version of this article is available at Peiran Su & Peter McNamara (2012) Exploration and exploitation within and
across intra-organisational domains and their reactions to firm-level failure, Technology Analysis &
Strategic Management, 24:2, 129-149, DOI: 10.1080/09537325.2012.647639 |
| Keywords: |
exploration exploitation; failure experience; domain separation; technological
domain; market domain; research and development; pharmaceuticals; clinical trials; |
| Academic Unit: |
Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Business |
| Item ID: |
5609 |
| Identification Number: |
https://doi.org/10.1080/09537325.2012.647639 |
| Depositing User: |
Peter McNamara
|
| Date Deposited: |
10 Dec 2014 16:01 |
| Journal or Publication Title: |
Technology Analysis & Strategic Management |
| Publisher: |
Taylor & Francis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| URI: |
|
| Use Licence: |
This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available
here |
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