Resource dependence and interorganizational linkage among R&D labs: The impact of research orientations

This study examines the interaction effect of resource dependence and an R&D lab's research orientation on its involvement in interorganizational linkage activity. Data from a national sample of R&D labs in the U.S. support the general prediction that the stronger a lab's orientation toward basic research, the less likely that it will participate in interlab collaborative projects as a way to deal with its resource dependence problems. These results are obtained after controlling for the main effects of resource dependence and basic research orientation, and possible confounding effects from several other variables, including institutional setting and lab size. Implications of the findings are discussed, including their relevance to the design of public policy to promote collaborative R&D among U.S. organizations.