Absorptive And Knowledge Capabilities

Journal of Strategic Management Education 6(1): 5-26. © 2010, Senate Hall Academic Publishing.

Technological Strategic Alliances and Performance: The Mediating Effect of Knowledge-Based Competencies
César Camisón-Zornoza and Montserrat Boronat-Navarro1
Jaume I University

Ana Villar-López
Universitat de Valencia Abstract. This study provides an empirical evidence of the relationship thatexists between participation in technological strategic alliances and business performance by considering the knowledge-based distinctive competencies that the alliance is capable of generating as a mediating variable. The generation of knowledge in technological strategic alliances explains the contradictory results in the literature about the direct effect of strategic alliances on economicperformance. The study uses a sample of Spanish industrial firms. The results findings prove that the relationship between technological strategic alliances, and performance is mediated by the generation of knowledge-based distinctive competencies; and that the contribution of the participation in alliances to the growth of the firm’s knowledge stock depends on its creation of innovationcompetencies. R&D managers should enhance the development of this kind of competencies in order to achieve superior performance. Keywords: strategic alliances, knowledge-based and innovation competencies, performance.

1. Introduction This study demonstrates how the distinctive knowledge-based competencies that the partners can accumulate in the alliance mediate a positive effect of technologicalstrategic alliances on performance. The study considers the Knowledge-Based View (KBV) model to distinguish between competencies in the knowledge flows and stock, and to explore the mediating effect of the two types of competencies. The study explores the relationships between technological strategic alliances and economic performance that some specific knowledge emerging from the interaction ofalliance partners explains. The relationship between strategic alliances and firm performance is not new to research, although prior research confirming the existence of a positive direct relationship between performance and alliances is relatively scarce (Stuart, 2000). Furthermore, empirical evidence in this respect is controversial. Methodological
1. The present study has received financial supportfrom the Valencian Institute of Economic Research (IVIE, 2006).

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Technological Strategic Alliances and Performance: The Mediating Effect of Knowledge-Based Competencies

reasons (e.g., studies in different contexts using different variables or techniques, and the examination of different types of alliances) could explainempirical diversity. However, theoretical reasons may also explain empirical diversity. Strategic alliances can be an important source of assets (distinctive competencies) that are the root of competitive advantages (Ireland, Hitt & Vaidyanath, 2002). The Knowledge-Based Approach (KBA) has acquired particular weight in strategic alliance research. This approach has highlighted knowledge andlearning capabilities as the most valuable assets that partners can obtain or create through strategic alliances. The specialized literature has also generally accepted that distinctive competencies in knowledge creation and learning through strategic alliances have a positive effect on business performance (Emden, Yaprak & Cavusgil, 2005; George et al., 2001; Shrader, 2001; Dyer & Singh, 1998; Simonin,1997; Powell, Koput & Smith-Doerr, 1996). But the empirical study of the mediating effect of distinctive knowledge-based competencies that partners can achieve by participating in strategic alliances on value creation is still scarce. The main aim of this study is to provide empirical evidence of the relationship between participation in strategic alliances and business performance, taking the...