“Like Poles Repel While Unlike Poles Attract”: Contextual Performance Effects of Supply Base R & D, Focal Firm R & D, and Commercialization
研究发现，焦点企业的研发和商业化活动对绩效的影响取决于其供应基础的研发强度：高研发企业搭配低研发供应基础时绩效更好，反之亦然，且两者存在负协同效应。
ABSTRACT We show that the ability of a firm to enhance its performance through R & D and commercialization efforts is dependent on the alignment of R & D intensity of the firm's supply base with its own R & D intensity. We employ a multi‐industry dataset consisting of 163 focal firms and their supply bases, spanning the years 1976 to 2009. Focal firms that have higher R & D expenditure compared to their industry average, enjoy greater performance benefits from their own R & D and commercialization efforts, as compared to when they have a Low R & D‐intense supply base. On the other hand, focal firms with lower R & D expenditure compared to their industry average, benefit more from their own R & D and commercialization expenditure when they have a High R & D supply base. When levels of R & D expenditure are matched with respect to the supply base (Low–Low or High–High), focal firms tend to derive less marginal performance benefits from their own R & D and commercialization expenditures. This pattern of results constitutes a “polarity effects” phenomenon, i.e., unlike poles attract. Further, for the High R & D focal firm–Low R & D supply base combination (and vice versa), we show that although both R & D and commercialization efforts have a separate and positive effect on the focal firm's financial performance; taken together, they have a negative synergy. Through a response surface analysis, we are able to show that there is a commercialization threshold, below which the Low R & D focal firm–High R & D supply base derives lower total benefits as compared to a High R & D focal firm–Low R & D supply base combination.