Premium
Innovation by Operating Practices in Project Alliances – When Size Matters
Author(s) -
Bouncken Ricarda B.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
british journal of management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.407
H-Index - 108
eISSN - 1467-8551
pISSN - 1045-3172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8551.2010.00688.x
Subject(s) - business , marketing , best practice , industrial organization , knowledge management , economics , computer science , management
Project alliances offer firms an opportunity to increase innovation performance through the flexible combination of specialized competencies across firms. Inspired by internal project management I classify two metrics of project alliances: formal and emergent operating practices. This study of 166 project alliances analyses the innovation performance impact of those practices. I find that emergent operating practices improve planned and serendipitous innovation regardless of a firm's size. After a classification of two groups, small and large firms, I find that firm size moderates the effect of formal operating practices. Results show that small firms can improve their innovation performance by formal operating practices. Instead, large firms will face performance reductions on planned innovation when implementing formal operating practices.