Adaptation on Multiple Landscapes: Relatedness, Complexity, and Inter-Temporal Coordination Costs

Abstract

We introduce and examine the concept of inter-temporal coordination costs, i.e., the reduction in a firm’s ability to adapt within businesses as a result of its attempts to capture synergies across businesses. Using a modified NK model of search across two landscapes, we show that these costs have an inverted-U relationship with the relatedness between landscapes, and this relationship is moderated by complexity. We further extend the model to examine entry into new markets, and use it to define conditions under which diversifying entrants may be at an advantage relative to either de novo start-ups or entrepreneurial spin-outs. Our study complements and extends recent work on inter-temporal economies of scope, while offering new insights for the literature on diversification, new market entry, and firm adaptation.