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The effect of acquisitions on exploration and exploitation in China

Yulia Muratova (Department of Management, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark)
Damiana Rigamonti (Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark)
Jesper N. Wulff (Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark)

Journal of Strategy and Management

ISSN: 1755-425X

Article publication date: 27 March 2019

Issue publication date: 3 May 2019

323

Abstract

Purpose

The mechanisms of knowledge acquisition and their impact on innovation are particularly relevant in the context of rapidly growing emerging markets. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between firm acquisition characteristics and post-acquisition knowledge exploration and exploitation in the Chinese domestic acquisition market.

Design/methodology/approach

By using patent and company data of 188 domestic Chinese deals completed between 2002 and 2013, the paper replicates the measurements and analytical methods of the US-based study by Phene, Tallman and Almeida (2012) to address the acquirer’s opportunity to explore and/or exploit external knowledge, its ability to absorb and effectively assimilate such knowledge and thus establish innovations in new technologies.

Findings

The paper finds support for a positive effect of knowledge uniqueness of the target on the bidder’s post-acquisition exploration. The findings also support that the post-acquisition exploitation is facilitated by the commonality of technological knowledge between the bidder and the target, a result that, although expected, was not be supported in the US-based study.

Originality/value

This paper qualifies the generalizability of US-based findings about post-acquisition exploration and exploitation in the context of China. It also responds to the call for China-focused knowledge management research by capturing innovation capability building by Chinese firms through domestic acquisitions. Finally, it contributes to the nascent literature on replication in management studies.

Keywords

Citation

Muratova, Y., Rigamonti, D. and Wulff, J.N. (2019), "The effect of acquisitions on exploration and exploitation in China", Journal of Strategy and Management, Vol. 12 No. 2, pp. 174-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSMA-10-2018-0124

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited

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