Absorptive capacity, learning, and performance in international joint ventures Article

Lane, PJ, Salk, JE, Lyles, MA. (2001). Absorptive capacity, learning, and performance in international joint ventures . Strategic Management Journal, 22(12), 1139-1161. 10.1002/smj.206

cited authors

  • Lane, PJ; Salk, JE; Lyles, MA

abstract

  • This paper proposes and tests a model of IJV learning and performance that segments absorptive capacity into the three components originally proposed by Cohen and Levinthal (1990). First, trust between an IJV's parents and the IJV's relative absorptive capacity with its foreign parent are suggested to influence its ability to understand new knowledge held by foreign parents. Second, an IJV's learning structures and processes an proposed to influence its ability to assimilate new knowledge from those parents. Third, the IJV's strategy and training competence are suggested to shape its ability to apply the assimilated knowledge. Revisiting the Hungarian IJVs studied by Lyles and Salk (1996) 3 years later, we find support for the knowledge understanding and application predictions, and partial support for the knowledge assimilation prediction. Unexpectedly, our results suggest that trust and management support from foreign parents are associated with IJV performance but not learning. Our model and results offer a new perspective on IJV learning and performance as well as initial insights into how those relationships change over time. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons. Ltd.

authors

publication date

  • December 1, 2001

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 1139

end page

  • 1161

volume

  • 22

issue

  • 12