New venture technology sourcing: exploring the effect of absorptive capacity, learning attitude and past performance.

Euromed, Marseille, France TABLE 1: OPERATIONALIZATION OF LEARNING ATTITUDE Learning Attitude Mean S.D. Is quick to learn new concepts or ideas 5.31 1.32 Learns from its past mistakes 5.54 1.15 Is dedicated to learning new ideas and concepts 5.74 1.12 Has an organizational culture that encourages learning new ideas, concepts and methods 5.75 1.06 Promotes the sharing of ideas across different units or functions 5.85 1.17 Is good in combining different technologies to develop new products, goods or services 5.43 1.32 Seems unable to learn new things and ideas (rev) 5.76 1.45 Is very slow to recognize new ideas or practices developed in-house (rev) 5.80 1.21 TABLE 2: OPERATIONALIZATION OF ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY Potential Absorptive Capacity Mean S.D. Comprehend innovations developed by other companies 5.52 1.25 Adopt innovations developed by other companies 4.85 1.19 Combine innovations created by other companies with those developed within our company 5.14 1.15 Change its production processes in response to innovations developed elsewhere 4.58 1.29 Implement technologies developed by other companies 4.78 1.27 Use technologies that were developed internally to create new products, goods or services 5.66 1.15 Change its production processes in response to innovations developed internally 5.22 1.28 Learn new skills and concepts 5.51 1.07 Change the way it does things 5.20 1.23 TABLE 3: OPERATIONALIZATION OF TECHNOLOGY SOURCING Access to new technologies Mean SD Buy licences from other companies 3.54 1.81 Contracts with universities 3.59 2.04 Contracts with public research centres 2.96 1.86 Alliances with customers 4.75 1.70 Alliances with suppliers 4.26 1.84 Alliances with competitors 2.99 1.78 Internal R&D 5.50 1.84 Acquisition of other companies 3.13 2.13 Joining research consortia 2.71 1.82 TABLE 4: PROFILE OF THE TWO GROUPS IN TERM OF TECHNOLOGY ACCESS MODES Variables Group 1 Group 2 F (Significance) Buy licences from other companies 4,80 2,48 72,85 *** Contracts with universities 5,10 2,40 80,45 *** Contracts with public research centres 4,00 2,20 31,84 *** Alliances with customers 5,04 4,45 3,29 ([dagger]) Alliances with suppliers 4,65 3,88 4,86 * Alliances with competitors 3,50 2,55 8,27 ** Internal R&D 5,82 5,20 3,10 ([dagger]) Acquisition of other companies 4,26 2,20 31,63 *** Joining research consortia 3,68 1,93 30,71 *** ([dagger])<.1, *<.05, **<.01, ***<.001 TABLE 5: SIGNIFICANT DEMOGRAPHICS FOR THE TWO GROUPS Variables Group 1 Group 2 T-test R&D/Sales (%) 48.7 (66.3) 24.2 (35.4) * Maturity of the major market (7 = Emerging, 1 = Decline) 6.06 (.98) 5.32 (1.34) ** Maturity of the industry (7 = Emerging, 1 = Decline) 5.70 (.93) 5.08 (1.23) ** Maturity of the technologies (7 = Emerging, 1 = Decline) 5.89 (1.04) 5.34 (1.37) * ([dagger]) <.1, *<.05, **<.01, ***<.001 TABLE 6: LEARNING ATTITUDE RESULTS FOR THE TWO GROUPS Learning Attitude Group 1 Group 2 F Is quick to learn new concepts 5.62 (1.28) 5.03 (1.33) 5.41 * Learns from its past mistakes 5.56 (1.27) 5.56 (1.07) .000 Is dedicated to learning new ideas and concepts 6.17 (.95) 5.54 (1.02) 10.48 ** Has an organizational culture that encourages learning new ideas, concepts and methods 6.06 (0.86) 5.54 (1.16) 6.62 * Promotes the sharing of ideas across different units or functions 6.08 (1.13) 5.73 (1.11) 2.66 Is good in combining different technologies to develop new products, goods or services 5.65 (1.34) 5.32 (1.20) 1.73 Seems unable to learn new things or ideas (rev) 5.92 (1.58) 5.73 (1.22) .482 Is very slow to recognize new ideas or practices developed in-house (rev) 6.10 (1.06) 5.58 (1.28) 5.27 * ([dagger]) <.1, *<.05, **<.01, ***<.001 TABLE 7: ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY RESULTS FOR THE TWO GROUPS Absorptive Capacity Group 1 Group 2 F Comprehend innovations developed by other companies 5.77 (1.14) 5.34 (1.32) 2.96 Adopt innovations developed by other companies 5.18 (1.04) 4.60 (1.26) 6.13 * Combine innovations created by other companies with those developed within our company 5.57 (1.02) 4.83 (1.16) 11.33 *** Change its production processes in response to innovations developed elsewhere 4.73 (1.34) 4.48 (1.26) 0.89 Implement technologies developed by other companies 5.16 (1.26) 4.50 (1.23) 7.04 ** Use technologies that were developed internally to create new products, goods or services 5.89 (1.17) 5.50 (1.13) 2.85 Change its production processes in response to innovations developed internally 5.36 (1.28) 5.12 (1.28) 0.9 Learn new skills and concepts 5.82 (0.99) 5.28 (1.07) 6.80 ** Comprehend innovations 5.77 (1.14) 5.34 (1.32) 2.96 developed by other companies ([dagger]) <.1, *<.05, **<.01, ***<.001 TABLE 8: PAST PERFORMANCE RESULTS FOR THE TWO GROUPS Past Performance Group 1 Group 2 F Sales Growth 4.78 (1.69) 4.89 (1.40) .134 Benefits 4.87 (0.97) 4.82 (1.20) .048 Return on sales 4.91 (1.46) 4.60 (1.05) 1.54 Foreign expansion 5.07 (1.68) 3.87 (1.62) 12.95 *** Return on Investment 4.98 (1.56) 4.55 (1.37) 2.17 Product Innovation 5.71 (1.18) 5.11 (1.50) 4.81 * Adoption of new product technologies 5.44 (1.06) 5.07 (1.23) 2.56 Adoption of new process technologies 5.18 (1.34) 4.69 (1.39) 3.15 Transforming R&D results into products 5.47 (1.10) 4.82 (1.55) 5.56 * Product quality 5.58 (1.03) 5.20 (1.25) 2.63 Success in new product commercialization 5.16 (1.15) 4.49 (1.43) 6.39 * Speed of new product commercialization 4.89 (1.19) 4.09 (1.43) 8.93 ** Market responsiveness 5.13 (1.29) 4.76 (1.28) 2.06 ([dagger])<.1, *<.05, **<.01, ***<.001