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Where do firms' recombinant capabilities come from? Intraorganizational networks, knowledge, and firms' ability to innovate through technological recombination

Author

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  • Gianluca Carnabuci
  • Elisa Operti

Abstract

A firm's innovativeness is driven by its ability to recombine existing technologies. Elaborating on this argument, we contend that there exist two distinct types of recombinant capabilities. First, firms may innovate through recombinant creation, i.e., by creating technological combinations new to the firm. Second, they may innovate through recombinant reuse; i.e., by reconfiguring combinations already known to the firm. We study what drives each type of capability by examining two factors: the degree of integration of a firm's intraorganizational network and the diversity of its knowledge base. We test our theoretical predictions using data on 126 semiconductor firms between 1984 and 2003. Our analyses indicate that factors that favor recombinant creation generally hinder recombinant reuse and vice versa; however, combining an integrated collaboration network and a diverse knowledge base may concurrently enhance both recombinant capabilities. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Gianluca Carnabuci & Elisa Operti, 2013. "Where do firms' recombinant capabilities come from? Intraorganizational networks, knowledge, and firms' ability to innovate through technological recombination," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(13), pages 1591-1613, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:stratm:v:34:y:2013:i:13:p:1591-1613
    DOI: 10.1002/smj.2084
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    Cited by:

    1. Duong, Phuong-Anh Nguyen & Voordeckers, Wim & Huybrechts, Jolien & Lambrechts, Frank, 2026. "When less is more: resource constraints and radical innovation in family firms and non-family firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(C).
    2. Zhao, Jianyu & Su, Xinjie & Li, Xixi & Xi, Xi & Yao, Xinlin, 2025. "Forecasting technology convergence with the spatiotemporal link prediction model," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    3. Yang, Siqi & Lin, Yan & lv, Shiwen & Wang, Shutian, 2026. "Impact of partners' geographic distance and technological similarity on firms' digital innovation performance: Evidence from the Chinese automobile industry," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    4. Killian McCarthy & Rick Aalbers & Claudine Kearney, 2025. "Organising for innovation: alliance-to-acquisition transitions and patent production," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 50(6), pages 2837-2866, December.
    5. Zhou, Jiaxin & Liang, Yaojia & Sun, Zhendong & Zhang, Qianqian, 2025. "Synergistic integration in the digital economy: The impact and mechanisms of digital M&A on corporate technological diversification," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 108(PA).
    6. Ma, Yonghong & Zhu, Enjia, 2025. "How network characteristics drive multi-layer innovation networks to achieve boundary-spanning convergence," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    7. Bae, Jaewan & Kim, Donggyu & Kwon, Kyung Yoon, 2025. "Intrafirm inventor network integration and cross-sectional stock returns," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).

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