Dismantling the Co-creation Unicorn : Investigating the "How" in Inter-firm Collaboration
Abstract: In order to face the challenges derived from an increasingly disruptive technologicalenvironment, firms often engage in collaborative arrangements with other firms. While it isargued that inter-firm networks can serve as a way to catalyze innovation, to manage risksinvolved in R&D and to enable the creation of new value through co-creation, the causes andreasons for inter-firm collaboration are well-known. However, little effort has been focused atcritically examining the challenges that co-creation brings on a network and firm-level. Thisresearch addresses this issue by taking a process perspective on the formation and developmentof an inter-firm network in relation to its technologically disruptive environment. Building on acase study involving firms from that network, this research shows that such arrangements mayalso involve challenges for participating firms. These challenges relates to a paradoxicaltension between exploitation of relation-specific assets and success in the long- and short-term,but also a challenge in terms of positioning the firm within the network.
AT THIS PAGE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE WHOLE ESSAY. (follow the link to the next page)