This study takes a new look at the puzzle of what type of contracts are suitable for governing innovation, with particular attention to inter-firm networks. It employs a conceptual framework that integrates organizational theory of formal coordination with economic perspectives on contracting, providing a new way of analyzing contracts according to the intensity at which they incorporate market-like mechanisms, hierarchical and bureaucratic mechanisms, and a usually neglected array of associational and democratic mechanisms, as related to the level of uncertainty. A new type of ‘associational’ and ‘constitutional’, resource-based rather than action-based contract is singled out as particularly fit to the governance of innovation. The framework is empirically applied to content-analyze the written agreements regulating inter-firm alliances for innovation in a comparative case study approach.

Facio ut facias: associational contracts and innovation

Grandori, Anna;Furlotti, Marco
2009

Abstract

This study takes a new look at the puzzle of what type of contracts are suitable for governing innovation, with particular attention to inter-firm networks. It employs a conceptual framework that integrates organizational theory of formal coordination with economic perspectives on contracting, providing a new way of analyzing contracts according to the intensity at which they incorporate market-like mechanisms, hierarchical and bureaucratic mechanisms, and a usually neglected array of associational and democratic mechanisms, as related to the level of uncertainty. A new type of ‘associational’ and ‘constitutional’, resource-based rather than action-based contract is singled out as particularly fit to the governance of innovation. The framework is empirically applied to content-analyze the written agreements regulating inter-firm alliances for innovation in a comparative case study approach.
2009
2014
Grandori, Anna; Furlotti, Marco
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11565/522191
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 8
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact