Taking a social networks approach to the performance feedback model from the Behavioral Theory of the Firm (BTOF), we examine how a firm’s position within a strategic alliance network—and the structure surrounding that position—creates distinct pressures that differentially impact decision makers’ problemistic search intensity to social and historical underperformance. We test our predictions on a sample of 32,780 observations of the alliance networks of 4,726 firms and their R&D intensity from 2000–2015 and find results robust to numerous alternative specifications. Results indicate that highly centralized firms search more intensely in response to social underperformance and less intensely in response to historical underperformance. However, structural holes in the network reduce response intensity to social underperformance but increase response intensity to historical underperformance. We posit this is due to how altering one’s network cognitively shapes the perceived threat of status loss. Our study is both managerially and theoretically important, since firms increasingly rely on strategic alliances in the face of major disruptions including globalization, economic crises, and pandemics, and since strategic alliances are instrumental in shaping how firms set and respond to aspirational benchmarks.

中文翻译：

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战略联盟如何塑造问题搜索强度：来自对社会和历史表现不佳的反应的证据


采用企业行为理论（BTOF）中的社交网络方法来构建绩效反馈模型，我们研究了企业在战略联盟网络中的地位以及围绕该地位的结构如何产生不同的压力，从而对决策者的问题产生不同的影响。对社会和历史表现不佳的搜索强度。我们对 2000 年至 2015 年 4,726 家公司的联盟网络及其研发强度的 32,780 个观察样本进行了测试，发现结果对许多替代规范来说都是稳健的。结果表明，高度集中的企业对社会表现不佳的搜索力度更大，而对历史表现不佳的搜索强度则不那么强烈。然而，网络中的结构性漏洞降低了对社会表现不佳的响应强度，但增加了对历史表现不佳的响应强度。我们认为这是由于改变一个人的网络认知方式如何塑造对地位丧失的感知威胁。我们的研究在管理上和理论上都很重要，因为面对全球化、经济危机和流行病等重大破坏，企业越来越依赖战略联盟，而且战略联盟有助于塑造企业如何设定和应对理想的基准。