바이오테크 기업의 기술영역 변화와 제약회사와의 전략적 제휴: 주변영역의 변화와 핵심영역의 변화에 따른 기존 파트너 제약회사와의 반복 제휴형성에 관한 연구

This study investigates whether a change in technology scope affects the likelihood to establish repeated alliance formation between small and medium sized biotechnology firms and large, established pharmaceutical companies in the U.S. biotechnology sector. To address this question, we employ “the organizational identity” literature, which has recently drawn attention in organizational sociology and economic sociology. We conceptualize the repeated tie formation between a pair of organizations with an existing tie as an event when an audience organization -- an established pharmaceutical company in our study -- decides to re-partner with the candidate organization -- a biotech venture in our study -- based on the signal that the audience organization receives from its existing partner. In this study, we consider technological identity (i.e. technology scope) as an important evaluative dimension. We suggest that the audience organization is likely to penalize the candidate organization with an incoherent technological identity by deciding not to establish a repeated relationship. The main research question of this study is as follows: To what extent a change in technology scope of a biotechnology firm influences the likelihood of the repeated alliance formation with an established pharmaceutical firm?We also examine the moderating effect of technological status on the main effect (the relationship between a change in technology scope and the repeated alliance formation with an existing partner). Specifically, we propose the following hypotheses: H 1: Peripheral changes in the technology scope of a biotechnology firm have no significant impact upon the likelihood of repeated ties between the biotechnology firm and an incumbent pharmaceutical firm. H 2: The likelihood of repeated ties between a biotechnology firm and an incumbent pharmaceutical firm is negatively related to the core changes in the technology scope of the biotechnology firm. H 3a: The negative effect of the core changes in the technology scope of a biotechnology firm on the likelihood of repeated ties with an incumbent pharmaceutical firm is weaker for the biotechnology firm with higher technological status (the greater the status of the technology that the biotechnology firm has). H 3b: The negative effect of the core changes in the technology scope of a biotechnology on the likelihood of repeated ties with an incumbent pharmaceutical firm is stronger for the biotechnology firm with higher technological status (the greater the status of the technology that the biotechnology firm has)To examine the above hypotheses, we use data of alliance relationships between large, established pharmaceutical companies and small and medium-sized biotechnology firms over a five-year period. Focusing on the partnership formed between biotechnology firms and established pharmaceutical firms as the unit of analysis, we examine whether a change in the coherent technological identity of a candidate biotechnology company influences the probability of repeated alliance formation. Using event history analysis, we find support for the negative effect of technology scope change of a biotechnology firm on the likelihood of the repeated partnership. We also find that the negative effect of major technology scope change of a biotechnology firm on the likelihood of repeated ties is stronger if the biotechnology firm has higher technological status.