Real option as strategic technology uncertainty reduction mechanism: inter-firm investment strategy by pharmaceuticals

Whether pharmaceutical firms use the real option (RO) mechanism for strategic technology uncertainty reduction and whether the role of RO decreases when industrial technology progresses from research and development (R&D) to commercial activities in a product life cycle is discussed. The evidence confirms that pharmaceutical firms enter different in the external technology sourcing. Moreover, RO-based entry coefficients differ in sizes at different levels in the industrial value chain. The R&D entry stage is relatively greater than the clinical trials entry stage. However, contrary to the proposition that the commercial entry coefficient will be relatively lower; the results indicate that the commercial RO-entry stage appears to be relatively greater than both the R&D entry stage and the clinical trials entry stage. The overall RO-based entry in external technology sourcing appears to be a U-shaped curve along the product life cycle. The article highlights some theoretical and practical implications of these findings.