The contracting process is a crucial step in alliance development and its success. However, the existing literature reveals surprisingly little investigation into how organizational learning relates to the process of contract making. We therefore conducted an in-depth longitudinal study of the alliance contracting process in the animated film industry. First, our findings suggest that during the contracting process, firms can learn about the way to deal with the contracting process, about themselves and their partner, and about the transaction features. Second, the case analysis indicates a combination of experiential, vicarious, and inferential learning mechanisms. Combining these insights into the objects and the mechanisms of learning during the contracting process, we discuss how contracting and learning processes are related and analyze the role of the contracting process in supporting organizational learning. The findings show that the drafting of contractual clauses fosters learning and, in turn, this learning triggers new contractual negotiations. Hence we suggest that the alignment between transaction features and the choice of contractual governance results from learning during the contracting process. We then propose avenues for future research. KeywordsContracting process; strategic alliances; organizational learning; longitudinal case study 3 Acknowledging that contracts account for a substantial part of future alliance performance, strategy and organization researchers have paid increasing attention to the structure of alliance contracts (e.g. Lumineau and Malhotra, 2011;Reuer and Ariño, 2007; see Weber, Mayer, and Wu, 2009, for a recent review). Scholars have in particular started to explore how learning relates to contracts (Argyres, Bercovitz, and Mayer, 2007; Dekker and Van den Abbeele, 2010;Mayer and Argyres, 2004;Ryall and Sampson, 2009;Vanneste and Puranam, 2010). Prior research has generally analyzed learning effects from one contract to the next. It has been suggested that the structures of contracts change over time as the firms gain experience in working together (Argyres et al., 2007;Mayer and Argyres, 2004). However, as the contract is generally seen as an outcome of the parties foreseeing hazards and the focus is mostly on the contractual structure, we still do not know much about what is learned during the contracting process and how this learning occurs.In addition, the processes preceding alliance formation, and particularly the process of contract In this paper, our aim is to develop a better understanding of the links between the contracting process and learning. Our study elaborates on organizational learning (e.g. Argote and MironSpektor, 2011;Inkpen and Tsang, 2007) in order to analyze learning dimensions in the alliance contracting process. While considering the structure and the content of the contract, our approach focuses on the process that the parties use to draft the contract (Macneil, 1980). We seek to improve our knowledge of alliance contracting by studyi...
L'évolution dans la manière de concevoir les organisations, depuis la vision rationnelle du management scientifique jusqu'aux systèmes ouverts, a progressivement déplacé l'intérêt des chercheurs de l'intérieur de l'organisation vers une appréhension plus large englobant l'organisation et son environnement. Environnement et organisation peuvent alors se concevoir comme deux réifications s'entre-définissant (Drazin et Sandelands, 1992). Très concrètement, accepter que l'environnement rassemble, sous une dénomination vague, une multitude d'organisations soulève de nouvelles questions qui induisent un glissement de l'attention vers le niveau interorganisationnel. À un niveau d'analyse interorganisationnel, l'objectif principal de la recherche est de comprendre les relations et interactions à l'intérieur d'agrégats d'organisations (secteurs, industries, populations, champs, etc.), voire entre agrégats d'organisations (Baum et Rowley, 2002). On peut définir ces relations interorganisationnelles comme des liens, nourris à la fois socialement et économiquement, entre organisations ; peut-être devrait-on dire entre individus agissant pour le compte de leur organisation. De tels liens supposent donc que se noue un type d'échange qui déborde le cadre de la simple Relations interorganisationnelles 19Cet article des Editions Lavoisier est disponible en acces libre et gratuit sur archives-rfg.revuesonline.com Relations interorganisationnelles 25Cet article des Editions Lavoisier est disponible en acces libre et gratuit sur archives-rfg.revuesonline.com
Purpose Scholars have recognized that formal hierarchical structures and slack resources are at the core of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attainment of ambidexterity. Surprisingly, few studies on SMEs have analyzed the extent to which these structural and resource attributes are associated with exploration and exploitation. This study aims to examine how two structural attributes, formalization and structural empowerment, and two resource attributes, financial slack and human resource slack, affect exploration and exploitation in SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered from a survey administered to the chief executive officers of 522 French SMEs. The research hypotheses were then tested using seemingly unrelated regressions to investigate the contrasts between the two components of ambidexterity. Findings The results show that structural empowerment and financial slack may be conducive to exploration and exploitation at the same time. By contrast, formalization and human resource slack impact only one of these two ambidexterity components in significant ways: the former may be a powerful lever for exploitation, while the latter may be a powerful lever for exploration. Originality/value Relying on a dual structure–resource perspective, this study allows us to discuss the distinct impacts that several organizational antecedents have on exploration and exploitation in the specific context of SMEs. It thus addresses the recent call to identify which antecedents are integrating and which are differentiating to help firms deal with ambidexterity.
Despite abundant research, the relationship between strategy formalization and innovation remains unclear. Some acknowledge a positive impact of strategy formalization on innovation while others consider it an impediment to novelty and creation. Going beyond the conflicting views over the influence of formalization, we combine open innovation and socio-material perspectives. This study aims to contribute to the debate by considering the possibility that formalization is a means of benefiting from openness with respect to innovation. Therefore, we predict that formalization might positively moderate the impact of openness on innovation. Relying on a unique sample of 555 SMEs, we investigate the effects of strategy formalization and openness-according to their various facets and interactions-on new product innovation. We find a positive influence of formalization (whether it is approached as a process or as a strategic tool) on product innovation. Our findings also support the idea that formalization increases the effectiveness of openness on innovation performance. Implications are discussed, and future research directions are outlined at the end.
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