Modularization, an important trend in innovation markets, allows for recombination of product components into multiple end-product configurations. Although modularization has consequences for how firms manage their relationships with upstream component suppliers, the governance implications of modularity for innovation sourcing relationships have not been adequately examined in the prior literature. We intend to bridge this gap. We argue that (i) buyer firms employ governance mechanisms (monitoring and socialization) to cope with the strategic hazards of innovation sourcing relationships (knowledge specificity, knowledge asymmetry, and knowledge spillover) and (ii) the consequences of deploying these mechanisms in response to the strategic hazards on relationship performance are contingent upon the degree of modularity of the system in which they are deployed. We provide empirical support for the developed moderated mediation model through an analysis of 194 innovation projects. The developed theory and findings contribute to the governance and modularity literatures. In addition, our findings may help change managers’ behaviors: we observe that managers do not consider modularity when selecting governance mechanisms, while our model findings suggest they should.

中文翻译：

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模块化在采购关系中的治理意义

模块化是创新市场的一个重要趋势，它允许将产品组件重新组合成多种最终产品配置。尽管模块化对公司如何管理与上游组件供应商的关系产生影响，但在先前的文献中并未充分研究模块化对创新采购关系的治理影响。我们打算弥合这一差距。我们认为 (i) 买方公司采用治理机制（监控和社会化）来应对创新采购关系的战略风险（知识特异性、知识不对称、和知识溢出）和（ii）部署这些机制以应对关系绩效的战略风险的后果取决于部署它们的系统的模块化程度。我们通过对 194 个创新项目的分析为开发的调节中介模型提供了实证支持。发达的理论和发现有助于治理和模块化文献。此外，我们的发现可能有助于改变管理者的行为：我们观察到管理者在选择治理机制时没有考虑模块化，而我们的模型发现表明他们应该考虑。发达的理论和发现有助于治理和模块化文献。此外，我们的发现可能有助于改变管理者的行为：我们观察到管理者在选择治理机制时没有考虑模块化，而我们的模型发现表明他们应该考虑。发达的理论和发现有助于治理和模块化文献。此外，我们的发现可能有助于改变管理者的行为：我们观察到管理者在选择治理机制时没有考虑模块化，而我们的模型发现表明他们应该考虑。