Resource allocation for open and hidden learning in learning alliances |
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Authors: | Xiu-Hao Ding Rui-Hua Huang Dong-Lin Liu |
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Institution: | (1) School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, No. 28 West Xianning Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi, 710049, China |
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Abstract: | A satisfying relationship between alliance members is important for the success of learning alliances, especially those in
the Asia Pacific region. While learning alliances create conditions for firms to leverage each other’s knowledge, firms may
be opportunistic and appropriate each other’s knowledge, and firms face a tradeoff because appropriation affects the relationship
between alliance members. After reviewing previous studies on knowledge sharing in learning alliances, we differentiate firms’
learning into open and hidden learning, and argue that open learning contributes to competence trust, while hidden learning
reduces goodwill trust, which consequently affects open learning. Learning uncertainty, introduced in this study, and learning
benefits determine expected payoffs of open and hidden learning, which influence firms’ resource investment in them. This
study also finds that behavior and output control are important moderators of the relationships between expected payoffs of
open and hidden learning and the resources invested in them. Thus, this study advances our understanding of the tension between
cooperation and competition and the learning dynamics in learning alliances. The solution to solving the knowledge sharing
dilemma in learning alliances is to promote partners’ open learning and to restrain their hidden learning. Therefore, this
study argues that, with open and hidden learning, implementing proper control measures and influencing partners’ learning
benefits and uncertainties can settle this dilemma. Furthermore, this study classifies the relationships of learning alliances
into four types and gives an explanation of why horizontal learning alliances are usually more competitive than vertical ones. |
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