On the role of alliance management capability, organizational compatibility, and interaction quality in interorganizational technology transfer

a r t i c l e i n f o Keywords: Alliance management capability Organizational compatibility Interaction quality Technology transfer Interorganizational technology transfer (ITT) is a key component of firms' innovation processes. ITT involves purposeful , goal-oriented interactions between two or more organizations to exchange technological knowledge and/or artifacts and rights. Using the relational view, this study develops and empirically tests a research framework that incorporates key factors of technology transfer success to answer three questions: (1) How do various managerial routines and procedures that as a whole reflect a firm's alliance management capability influence interaction quality in ITT? (2) How does interaction quality in turn influence technology transfer success? (3) Which configurations of organizational and interactional factors contribute to technology transfer success? By examining the causal chain from alliance management capability through interorganizational interaction quality to technology transfer success, this study explains linkages between important antecedents and consequences of interaction quality and thus contributes to a better understanding of the interorganizational exchange processes that determine technology transfer success. Strategic alliances sometimes evolve as an important means to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The rate of formation of alliances has increased significantly in the last years and alliances have become prevalent in several industries—particularly in high-technology industries (Rothaermel & Deeds, 2006). Firms' motives for the formation of alliances include factors such as learning from partners, obtaining access to technology and complementary resources, or enhancing inno-vativeness (Rothaermel & Boeker, 2008). Extant research emphasizes that one of the key activities underlying several types of alliances is the transfer of knowledge and technology between alliance partners (e. involves purposeful, goal-oriented interactions between two or more organizations to exchange technological knowledge and/or artifacts and rights (Amesse & Cohendet, 2001). ITT represents the mechanism inherent to many forms of interorganizational collaboration, such as outward technology commercialization activities and inward technology acquisition activities (e.g., Lichtenthaler & Ernst, 2007). Thus, ITT reflects the process that occurs when firms decide to collaborate with external partners in order to improve their technological capabilities or when firms decide to exploit their technology expertise. Despite an active ITT strategy, technology transfers often do not meet firms' strategic objectives (Lichtenthaler & Lichtenthaler, 2010). For example, Koza and Lewin (2000) show empirically that approximately 50% of these collaborations do not live up to expectations. Against this background, identification and investigation of drivers of technology transfer success become critical issues for both practitioners and …