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Strategic Management of R& D Pipelines with Cospecialized Investments and Technology Markets

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  • Tat Chan

    (John M. Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1133, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899)

  • Jack A. Nickerson

    (John M. Olin School of Business, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1133, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130-4899)

  • Hideo Owan

    (Graduate School of International Management, Aoyama Gakuin University, 4-4-25 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8366, Japan)

Abstract

The theoretical literature on managing R& D pipelines is largely based on real option theory making decisions about undertaking, continuing, or terminating projects. The theory typically assumes that each project or causally related set of projects is independent. However, casual observation suggests that firms expend much effort on managing and balancing their R& D pipelines, where managing appears to be related to the choice of R& D selection thresholds, project risk, and whether to buy or sell projects to fill the pipeline. Not only do these policies appear to differ across firms, they also appear to vary over time for the same firm. Changes in management policies suggest that the choice of R& D selection thresholds is a time-varying strategic decision and there may be some type of vertical interdependency among R& D projects in different stages. In this paper we develop a model using dynamic-programming techniques that explain why firms vary in their R& D project-management policies. The novelty and value of our model derives from the central insight that some firms invest in downstream cospecialized activities that would incur substantial adjustment costs if R& D efforts are unsuccessful whereas other firms have no such investment. If transaction costs in technology markets are positive, which implies that accessing the market for projects is costly, these investments lead to state-contingent project-selection rules that create a dynamic and vertical interdependency among R& D activities and product mix. We describe how choices of R& D selection thresholds, preferences over project risk, and use of technology markets for the buying and selling of projects differ by the state of the firm's pipeline, the magnitude of transaction costs in the adjustment market, and the magnitude of technology costs. These results yield interesting managerial and public policy implications.

Suggested Citation

  • Tat Chan & Jack A. Nickerson & Hideo Owan, 2007. "Strategic Management of R& D Pipelines with Cospecialized Investments and Technology Markets," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 53(4), pages 667-682, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:53:y:2007:i:4:p:667-682
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.1060.0676
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    6. Russell Thomson & Elizabeth Webster, 2011. "External Ventures: Why Firms Don't Develop All Their Inventions In-house," Melbourne Institute Working Paper Series wp2011n19, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne.
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    8. Douglas P. Hannah & Ron Tidhar & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 2021. "Analytic models in strategy, organizations, and management research: A guide for consumers," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(2), pages 329-360, February.
    9. Higgins, Matthew J. & Yan, Xin & Chatterjee, Chirantan, 2021. "Unpacking the effects of adverse regulatory events: Evidence from pharmaceutical relabeling," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1).
    10. Moreira, Solon & Klueter, Thomas Maximilian & Asija, Aman, 2023. "Market for technology 2.0? Reassessing the role of complementary assets on licensing decisions," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(7).
    11. Joshua L. Krieger & Xuelin Li & Richard T. Thakor, 2022. "Find and Replace: R&D Investment Following the Erosion of Existing Products," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 68(9), pages 6552-6571, September.
    12. Sam Ransbotham & Sabyasachi Mitra, 2010. "Target Age and the Acquisition of Innovation in High-Technology Industries," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 56(11), pages 2076-2093, November.
    13. Douglas H. Frank, 2014. "Governance Institutions and Adaptation Costs: Evidence from the Fall of the Berlin Wall," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(1), pages 166-187, January.
    14. Marco Ceccagnoli & Matthew J. Higgins & Vincenzo Palermo, 2014. "Behind the Scenes: Sources of Complementarity in R&D," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 125-148, March.
    15. Nishimura, Junichi & Okada, Yosuke, 2014. "R&D portfolios and pharmaceutical licensing," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1250-1263.
    16. Carolin Haeussler & Matthew J. Higgins, 2014. "Strategic Alliances: Trading Ownership for Capabilities," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(1), pages 178-203, March.
    17. Trigeorgis, Lenos & Tsekrekos, Andrianos E., 2018. "Real Options in Operations Research: A Review," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 270(1), pages 1-24.
    18. Landon Kleis & Paul Chwelos & Ronald V. Ramirez & Iain Cockburn, 2012. "Information Technology and Intangible Output: The Impact of IT Investment on Innovation Productivity," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 42-59, March.
    19. Razvan Lungeanu & Ithai Stern & Edward J. Zajac, 2016. "When do firms change technology-sourcing vehicles? The role of poor innovative performance and financial slack," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5), pages 855-869, May.
    20. Schwiebacher, Franz, 2013. "Does fragmented or heterogeneous IP ownership stifle investments in innovation?," ZEW Discussion Papers 13-096, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    21. Carolin Haeussler & Matthew J. Higgins, 2012. "Explaining Preferences for Control Rights in Strategic Alliances: A Property Rights and Capabilities Perspective Approach," NBER Working Papers 18364, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    22. Simon Wakeman, 2008. "Profiting from technological capabilities: Technology commercialization strategy in a dynamic context," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-08-008 (R2), ESMT European School of Management and Technology, revised 06 Aug 2010.

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