Comparing the antecedents of absorptive capacity in exploitation and exploration alliances: the case of a software company

As the acquisition of valuable knowledge from other organisations has become an increasingly important motive for firms to engage in alliances, scholars have often discussed the role of absorptive capacity in interorganisational learning and performance. However, little is known about which antecedents of absorptive capacity are important in strategic alliances that have either an 'exploitation' or 'exploration' purpose. This paper contributes to understanding of this issue by developing a typology of different antecedents of absorptive capacity with respect to their relative importance in exploitation and exploration type alliances and by deriving testable propositions. Examining alliances of a software company specialising in decision management solutions provides initial case study evidence for the propositions.