Intellectual property crises induced by incumbent firms and latecomer firms’ catch-up performance: evidence from different sectoral environments
研究在位企业如何通过知识产权诉讼引发危机阻碍后发企业追赶，以及后发企业危机管理如何影响追赶绩效，发现部门环境（技术和需求体制）起调节作用。
Why and how do incumbent firms (IFs) induce crises for latecomer firms? How do latecomer firms (LCFs) manage the crises, and how does crisis management affect LCFs’ catch-up? To answer these questions, we look at crises induced by IFs and LCFs’ crisis management by drawing on competitive dynamics and crisis management theories. Based on two case studies in the telecommunications sector, we find that IFs induce crises using intellectual property (IP) lawsuits (called IP crises) for hindering LCFs’ catch-up. Two LCFs achieved different catch-up performance based on the effectiveness of subsequent IP crisis management. In particular, we also find that the sectoral environments, in terms of technological and demand regimes, can act as a moderator in the relationship between the IP crisis management and the catch-up performance. We propose a more fine-grained view in catch-up studies by suggesting that the constructs ‘IFs-induced IP crises’ and ‘LCFs’ IP crisis management”.