Abstract

Facilitating knowledge exchange and combination and simultaneously safeguarding core proprietary knowledge are important in interorganizational relationship. However, prior studies have often regarded knowledge exchange and combination and knowledge protection as two conflicting activities. Few studies have discussed the mechanisms that can help firms achieve both of them. In this study, we extend the concept of ambidexterity to the interorganizational relationship context and suggest some mechanisms that can enhance knowledge exchange and combination and knowledge protection. According to the empirical results, prior knowledge sharing and shared interpretation are positively associated with knowledge exchange and combination. Joint actions influences knowledge protection, while reciprocal investment has no effect on knowledge protection. Besides, ambidexterity (the product term of knowledge exchange and combination and knowledge protection) has significant effect on cooperative benefits. Finally, we discuss implications of this research
and offer suggestions for future research.  

Keywords

interorganizational governance ambidexterity knowledge exchange and protection