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Mind the gap

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  • Gilsing, Victor
  • Vanhaverbeke, Wim
  • Pieters, Michiel

Abstract

While clique-embeddedness is generally considered to enhance firm performance, there are also reasons to expect that under conditions of technological turbulence clique-membership is less beneficial or might even become a liability. To address this, we study the innovative performance of clique members during periods of both technological change and technological stability. We find support for the idea that companies' ability to adapt their alliance network (i.e. forming ties beyond the scope of the clique) and their ability to adapt their technology portfolios (i.e. access to novel technological knowledge) positively influences their innovative performance during technologically turbulent periods.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilsing, Victor & Vanhaverbeke, Wim & Pieters, Michiel, 2014. "Mind the gap," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 351-362.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:81:y:2014:i:c:p:351-362
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2013.04.010
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    4. de Leeuw, Tim & Gilsing, Victor & Duysters, Geert, 2019. "Greater adaptivity or greater control? Adaptation of IOR portfolios in response to technological change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(6), pages 1586-1600.
    5. Skeete, Jean-Paul, 2018. "Level 5 autonomy: The new face of disruption in road transport," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 22-34.
    6. Dong, John Qi & Yang, Chia-Han, 2016. "Being central is a double-edged sword: Knowledge network centrality and new product development in U.S. pharmaceutical industry," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 113(PB), pages 379-385.
    7. Jing Huang & Hongqi Wang & Jianlong Wu & Zhongji Yang & Xiaobo Hu & Mengmeng Bao, 2020. "Exploring the Key Driving Forces of the Sustainable Intergenerational Evolution of the Industrial Alliance Innovation Ecosystem: Evidence from a Case Study of China’s TDIA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-31, February.

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