Contacts and Contracts: Cross-Level Network Dynamics in the Development of an Aircraft Material

Abstract

I n this paper, we investigate how interorganizational networks and interpersonal networks interact over time. We present a retrospective longitudinal case study of the network system that developed a novel aircraft material and analyze change episodes from a structurationist perspective. We identify five types of episodes in which interpersonal and interorganizational networks interact (persistence, prospecting, consolidation, reconfiguration, and dissolution) and analyze conditions for these episodes and sequences among them. Our findings advance a cross-level perspective on embeddedness and show how individuals may draw on relational and structural embeddedness as distributed resources. The multiple levels of embeddedness impact network dynamics by introducing converging and diverging dialectics, thereby limiting path dependence and proactive network orchestration.

Knowing Me, Knowing You: Inventor Mobility and the Formation of Technology-oriented Alliances

“…We add to this work by focusing on mobile employees as well as by applying a novel theoretical lens emphasizing a cognitive perspective. Whereas these prior studies showed how individual-level collaboration resulted in organizational-level collaboration (Berends et al, 2011), our study reveals that noncollaborative actions like mobility also assist in alliance formation. Specifically, our study provides a clear theoretical explanation for how employees' personal knowledge can influence joint decision-making by providing additional information and bridging interorganizational decision frames in the process of alliance formation.…”

Supplying Spin-Offs: Collaboration Practices in the Perpetuation of an Organizaton

“…These shared practices were created around joint development work and enabled participants to identify with one another and with their shared work (Levina & Vaast, 2008, p. 320). However, the research stream is young and based on the work of only a few researchers (Berends, van Burg & van Raaij, 2011;Levina & Vaast, 2005;Sydow, Windeler, Schubert & Möllering, 2012). Thus, to capture how successful spin-offs relate to customers and suppliers, we use practice theory to identify the activities involved.…”

Alliance strategy: context, process, and requirements

“…(Bakker et al, 2011;Berends et al, 2011). This could turn out to be a complex, sensitive and at times political process (Hall et al, 2013;Lorell, 1980;Uiterwijk et al, 2013).…”

“…Moreover, performance associated with (progression of) phases remains ill understood. Literature has repeatedly reported on alliances that fail, get stalled or follow non-linear trajectories (Van Fenema and Loebbecke, 2014;Berends et al, 2011;Doz, 1996). So, while strategic formation of inter-organizational cooperation and its idealized phases has received ample attention, the actual processes of collaborating across organizational boundaries (Majchrzak et al, 2015;Pitsis et al, 2004) and delivering performance (Bititci et al, 2012) appear challenging.…”

“…Benefits may be limited, knowledge could leak and strategic positions could be harmed (Jiang et al, 2013;Hamel et al, 1989). Cooperation tends to be a rocky road, comprising win-win and conflict episodes (Hamel et al, 1989;Berends et al, 2011). Performance improvement from cooperation is in fact neither guaranteed nor is the process through which it could be achieved well understood.…”