Technology acquisition through exploration alliance: network positions and technology diversity

The study further explores how the moderating roles of relative network positions and technology diversity separately and jointly affect inter-firm technology alliances. More specifically, this study examines whether exploration learning in inter-firm collaboration benefits a firm's technology alliances and whether those benefits depend on how such learning fits the firm's network position and technology diversity. Based on a sample of 151 biomedical-based firms, the results show that relative network positions and technology diversity are significantly positively and negatively associated with successful inter-firm technology alliances, respectively. The main findings show that successful inter-firm technology alliances not only depend on exploration learning capability but are also contingent upon relative network positions and technology diversity. The study reveals some important implications for inter-firm technology collaborations.