This study investigates follower firms' make–buy sourcing choices and sequences in response to an architectural innovation by an innovator. We argue that the dynamic trade-offs among knowledge acquisition, knowledge transformation, and transaction cost reduction underlie the performance impacts of make–buy sourcing choices and sequences across the architectural innovation life cycle. Using the data gathered from the gear-shifting market of the U.S. bicycle industry, we empirically demonstrate that “buy” is a superior sourcing choice before key market-winner features (i.e., dominant design) have emerged. After that, “make” becomes a superior choice. We then demonstrate that the “buy-to-make” sourcing sequence is associated with superior technological and financial performances in the postdominant design phase of the architectural innovation period, as well as with greater firm survival during the market shakeout in the later period of modular standardization. The theoretical and managerial implications of our findings are also discussed.

中文翻译：

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跨架构创新生命周期的采购选择顺序对性能和生存的影响

本研究调查了追随者公司在响应创新者的架构创新时的自购采购选择和顺序。我们认为，知识获取、知识转化和交易成本降低之间的动态权衡是构建创新生命周期中制造-购买采购选择和序列的性能影响的基础。使用从美国自行车行业的变速市场收集的数据，我们凭经验证明，在关键的市场赢家特征（即主导设计）出现之前，“购买”是一种优越的采购选择。在那之后，“制造”成为了一个上佳的选择。然后，我们证明了“购买到制造”的采购顺序与建筑创新时期后期主导设计阶段的卓越技术和财务表现有关，以及在模块化后期的市场震荡中与更大的企业生存相关。标准化。还讨论了我们的研究结果的理论和管理意义。