Experimentation and Appropriability in Early-Stage Ventures: Evidence from the U.S. Software Industry

Working Papers

This study examines the tension between learning and appropriability in the experimentation process of early-stage ventures. I build a stylized model to argue that, when formal intellectual property is weak, the learning benefit of experimentation may be offset by its imitation risk. Read More

Star Developers and Open Source Software

Working Papers

The idea that source code for computer software be accessible to anyone has gained increasing popularity among software developers, fueling the rapid growth of the open source software (OSS) movement. Platforms for OSS development currently host incredibly valuable projects like the Linux kernel, TensorFlow and various blockchain software projects.Read More

Experimentation, Learning, and Performance: Evidence from a RCT

Working Papers

Experimentation is the center of a fascinating debate among entrepreneurship practitioners. Inspired by the lean startup, much current practice advocates the intense use of experimentation. Conversely, a large entrepreneurship tradition emphasizes the importance of design and planning. Read More

To Master Innovation in the Technology Sector, Companies Must Nail the Cultural Fit

Sid Kumar on Mastering Innovation in the Technology Sector

The global technology sector is constantly changing as new players enter the industry and legacy ones adapt. We asked Sid Kumar (WG’09) how CA Technologies, a global enterprise software company, has navigated digital transformation over the past 40 years.Read More

A Theory of the Emergence of Organizational Form: The Dynamics of Cross-border Knowledge Production by Indian Firms

Published Research

This paper uses a complex systems perspective to develop a theory of how human interaction dynamics (HID)-strategic decision processes and organizational mechanisms-for knowledge production under uncertainty give rise to a new organizational form. Our theoretical framework is derived from an inductive study of the international expansion of 14 Indian biotechnology and software firms.Read More

Balance Within and Across Domains: The Performance Implications of Exploration and Exploitation in Alliances

Published Research

Organizational research advocates that firms balance exploration and exploitation, yet it acknowledges inherent challenges in reconciling these opposing activities. To overcome these challenges, such research suggests that firms establish organizational separation between exploring and exploiting units or engage in temporal separation whereby they oscillate between exploration and exploitation over time.Read More