On the performance of technology-sourcing partnerships: The interaction between partner interdependence and technology attributes

This study examines the outcomes of technology-sourcing partnerships from the sourcing firms' point of view. Using a knowledge-based perspective, we develop a contingency model suggesting how the imitability, uniqueness, and uncertainty associated with a technology interact with partner interdependence to influence sourcing outcomes. Ninety-five sourcing arrangements spanning licensing, joint development, and acquisitions were examined close to the time of conception and three to four years afterward. Overall, the results support a contingency framework.