2017 - Reprints: Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Mapping the technological landscape: Measuring technology distance, technological footprints, and technology evolution, Research Policy, 45, 81-96, 2016
B. S. Aharonson and M.A. Schilling
(Reprint no. 333)
Research no. 05450100
We develop and apply a set of measures that enable a fine-grained characterization of technological capabilities based on the USPTO database. These measures can capture the distance between any two patents, and help to identify outlier patents. They also provide a rich characterization of a firm's technological footprint, including its depth and breadth. The measures also enable researchers to assess the technological overlap, similarity, and proximity of the technological footprints of two or more firms. At the level of the macro technology landscape, the measures can be used to explore such dynamics as technology agglomeration, knowledge spillovers, and technology landscape evolution. We show applications of each of the measures and compare the results obtained with those that would be obtained with previously existing measures of firm diversity, similarity and proximity, highlighting the advantages of the measures used here.
Do they know something we don’t? Endorsements from foreign MNCs and domestic network advantages for start-ups, Global Strategy Journal, 6, 31-49, 2016
B. S. Aharonson, D. Tzabbar and T.L. Amburgey
(Reprint no. 334)
Research no: 05450100
Plain language summary:This article examines the effects of alliances with foreign multinational corporations(MNCs) on a local start-up’s attractiveness as a partner in its domestic research networks.We argue that such international strategic alliances enhance a start-up’s subsequent alliance activity and its status in its domestic R&D network. The analysis shows that, indeed, alliances with foreign MNCs signiflcantly enhance the start-up’s attractiveness and its future alliance activity, especially when the start-up is young (up to the age of five). Furthermore, alliances with foreign MNCs from a variety of different countries of origin (e.g., U.K., Germany, and France) have stronger effects on a start-up’s subsequent alliance activity, supporting the argument that even in the age of globalization, location still matters.
Technical summary: This article examines the effects of endorsements from foreign multinational corporations (MNCs) on the centrality of biotech start-ups within their domestic research networks.We argue that international strategic alliances enhance a start-up’s subsequent movement toward a more central position in its domestic R&D network. Analyzing U.S. biotech start-ups over time, our findings show that endorsements from foreign MNCs significantly enhance the subsequent network centrality of U.S. biotech start-ups. This endorsement effect is magnified in the early stages of the start-up’s life cycle. Furthermore, endorsements by foreign MNCs from a variety of different countries of origin have stronger effects on a start-up’s subsequent network centrality, supporting the contention that even in the age of globalization, location still matters.
Imprinting through inheritance: A multi-genealogical study of entrepreneurial proclivity, Academy of Management Journal, 60(2), 500-522, 2017
S. Ellis, B.S. Aharonson, I. Drori and Z. Shapira
(Reprint no. 335)
Research no. 05470100
We offer an organizational lineage inheritance theoretical framework for understanding the longevity of imprinting effects of two consecutive eras with distinct environmental conditions, values, and norms. Adopting a genealogical approach, we find that era-based imprinting is contingent on lineage-based transmissions. Era-based initial conditions strongly influence the entrepreneurial proclivity of the first generation of firms but have no influence on subsequent generations, and each generation is influenced by the entrepreneurial proclivity of the former. We show two mediation effects and one moderation effect, supporting our theoretical argument that the longevity of imprinting effects is due to heredity processes. First, the effect of era-based initial conditions on the entrepreneurial proclivity of the second generation is mediated by the entrepreneurial proclivity of the first generation. The effect of the entrepreneurial proclivity of the first generation on the third-generation’s entrepreneurial proclivity is mediated by the entrepreneurial proclivity of the second generation. Second, a mismatch between the mental models of the knowledge-transmitting agents (the founders) and the knowledge-receiving agents (organization members—prospective entrepreneurs) moderates the effect of the entrepreneurial proclivity of one generation on the entrepreneurial proclivity of the next.
