Alliance stability, knowledge protection of partner firms, and knowledge acquisition of focal firms

Yang Yan; Gao Shanxing

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Science Research Management ›› 2012 ›› Issue (8) : 80-89.

Alliance stability, knowledge protection of partner firms, and knowledge acquisition of focal firms

Yang Yan, Gao Shanxing

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Abstract

How alliance interdependency and alliance conflict, as two dimensions of alliance stability, affect knowledge protection behavior of partner firms is focused, and a conceptual framework involving alliance stability, knowledge protection of partner firms, and knowledge acquisition of focal firms is built. Six hypotheses are proposed and tested based on the survey data of 270 Chinese firms. The empirical results show that both alliance interdependency and alliance conflict reinforce the knowledge protection of partner firms, and there is a U-shaped relationship between knowledge protection of partner firms and knowledge acquisition of focal firms. It is also found that alliance interdependency facilitates the knowledge acquisition of focal firms, and positively moderates the U-shaped relationship between knowledge protection of partner firms and knowledge acquisition of focal firms, whereas, alliance conflicts have a negative effect on the knowledge acquisition of focal firms.

Key words

alliance interdependency / alliance conflict / knowledge protection / knowledge acquisition

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Yang Yan, Gao Shanxing. Alliance stability, knowledge protection of partner firms, and knowledge acquisition of focal firms[J]. Science Research Management. 2012(8): 80-89

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