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Corporate Venture Capital, Disembodied Experimentation and Capability Development

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  • Thomas Keil
  • Erkko Autio
  • Gerard George

Abstract

Studies invoking a capabilities lens often ascribe deliberateness in organizational decisions to develop new capabilities. Drawing on five longitudinal case studies of large, global firms in the information and communication technology sector, we examine how firms engender cognizance of their future capability needs in situations characterized by high decision‐making uncertainty. We develop a theoretical account of how firms use investments in start‐ups to actively engage in experimentation outside organizational boundaries, a learning process which we term as disembodied experimentation. Disembodied experimentation creates awareness of voids in the capability base of an incumbent and helps to overcome inertial restraints thereby influencing the decision to invest in capability development. The relationship between learning from disembodied experimentation and the decision to develop capabilities is moderated by knowledge brokering functions and adaptation complexity.

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  • Thomas Keil & Erkko Autio & Gerard George, 2008. "Corporate Venture Capital, Disembodied Experimentation and Capability Development," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 1475-1505, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jomstd:v:45:y:2008:i:8:p:1475-1505
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2008.00806.x
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    7. Varkey K. Titus Jr. & Brian S. Anderson, 2018. "Firm Structure and Environment as Contingencies to the Corporate Venture Capital-Parent Firm Value Relationship," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(3), pages 498-522, May.
    8. Shuwaikh, Fatima & Dubocage, Emmanuelle, 2022. "Access to the Corporate Investors' Complementary Resources: A Leverage for Innovation in Biotech Venture Capital-Backed Companies," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
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    10. Enkel, Ellen & Sagmeister, Veronika, 2020. "External corporate venturing modes as new way to develop dynamic capabilities," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 96.
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    12. Kalm, Matias, 2012. "The Impact of Networking on Firm Performance - Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Firms in Emerging Technology Areas," Discussion Papers 1278, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    13. Yi Yang & Vadake K. Narayanan & Donna M. De Carolis, 2014. "The relationship between portfolio diversification and firm value: The evidence from corporate venture capital activity," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(13), pages 1993-2011, December.
    14. Petrit Ademi & Monika C. Schuhmacher & Andrew L. Zacharakis, 2023. "Evaluating Affordance-Based Opportunities: A Conjoint Experiment of Corporate Venture Capital Managers’ Decision-Making," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 47(6), pages 2293-2322, November.
    15. Elisa Alvarez-Garrido & Gary Dushnitsky, 2016. "Are entrepreneurial venture's innovation rates sensitive to investor complementary assets? Comparing biotech ventures backed by corporate and independent VCs," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(5), pages 819-834, May.
    16. Varkey Titus Jr. & Owen Parker & Jeffrey Covin, 2020. "Organizational Aspirations and External Venturing: The Contingency of Entrepreneurial Orientation," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 44(4), pages 645-670, July.
    17. Markku V. J. Maula & Thomas Keil & Shaker A. Zahra, 2013. "Top Management’s Attention to Discontinuous Technological Change: Corporate Venture Capital as an Alert Mechanism," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 926-947, June.
    18. Gideon D. Markman & Donald S. Siegel & Mike Wright, 2008. "Research and Technology Commercialization," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(8), pages 1401-1423, December.
    19. Gustafsson, Robin & Autio, Erkko, 2011. "A failure trichotomy in knowledge exploration and exploitation," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(6), pages 819-831, July.
    20. Matteo Rossi & Giuseppe Festa & Ludovico Solima & Simona Popa, 2017. "Financing knowledge-intensive enterprises: evidence from CVCs in the US," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(2), pages 338-353, April.
    21. Kamel Mellahi & Adrian Wilkinson, 2010. "A Study of the Association between Level of Slack Reduction Following Downsizing and Innovation Output," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(3), pages 483-508, May.
    22. Øyna, Stine & Almor, Tamar & Elango, B. & Tarba, Shlomo Y., 2018. "Maturing born globals and their acquisitive behaviour," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 27(3), pages 714-725.
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