Alliance coopetition and breakthrough innovation: the contributory roles of resources integration and knowledge ambiguity

ABSTRACT

Based on coopetition literature, we deconstruct alliance coopetition to horizontal coopetition and vertical coopetition, so as to pursue deeper insight into the impacts of different types of alliance coopetition on breakthrough innovation in the context of the firm’s knowledge resource endowment. Drawing on the data extracted from 222 Chinese firms, we theorise and demonstrate that there is a positive relationship between alliance coopetition and breakthrough innovation and the incentive of alliance coopetition on breakthrough innovation performance is contingent on the resource integration ability of firms. In addition, we find the knowledge ambiguity positively moderates the direct effect of horizontal coopetition on firms’ resource integration, but negatively moderates the effect of vertical coopetition on firms’ resource integration. Our findings help to clarify the controversial relation between coopetition and innovation studies.

KEYWORDS:

• Breakthrough innovation
• alliance coopetition
• knowledge ambiguity
• resource integration

Acknowledgement

National Natural Science Foundation of China (71872027, 72172024, 71971043, and 72102198)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 71872027, 71971043, 72102198, 72172024].

Notes on contributors

Lisha Huo

Lisha Huo is a PhD student in the School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC), China. She is also a teacher at business school, Southwest Minzu University, China. Her research interests are in the area of innovation management and enterprise collaboration. Her works have been published by some SSCI indexed journals and Chinese journals.

Yunfei Shao

Yunfei Shao is a Professor in the School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology, China. Her research interests are in the area of emerging technology and innovation management. She has published more than 200 papers in journals such as Journal of Business Venturing, International Journal of Information Management.

Yi Jin

Yi Jin works at business school, Southwest Minzu University, China. She focuses on strategy, power, dependence, and innovation issues. Her works have been published by some SSCI indexed journals and Chinese journals.

Weijia Kong

Weijia Kong is a PhD student at the School of Management and Economics, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, China. His research interests are in the area of value co-creation and innovation management.