Interorganizational Trust and Technology Complexity: Evidence for New Technology-Based Firms

Integrating the transaction cost economics and relational perspectives, this paper puts forward that technology complexity within new technology-based firms negatively influences the level of interorganizational trust in key partner relationships. Using a data set of 105 key partner relationships of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of small business management 2017-12, Vol.55 (S1), p.256-274
Main Authors: Bruneel, Johan, Spithoven, André, Clarysse, Bart
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Companies
Complexity
Endogenous
High tech industries
New technology
Research parks
Transaction costs
Trust
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Summary:Integrating the transaction cost economics and relational perspectives, this paper puts forward that technology complexity within new technology-based firms negatively influences the level of interorganizational trust in key partner relationships. Using a data set of 105 key partner relationships of 59 new technology-based firms, we find that the new technology-based firm's level of trust in its key partners is lower when the level of technology complexity is high. Findings further show that both relationship and partner characteristics moderate the technology complexity-trust relationship. These results show that technology complexity as an appropriability mechanism becomes endogenous to collaboration, thereby extending the Teece framework.
ISSN:0047-2778
1540-627X
DOI:10.1111/jsbm.12369