Examining the influence of knowledge spillover on partner selection in knowledge Alliances: The role of benefit distribution

Abstract

Partner selection plays a meaningful role in gaining and maintaining the competitive advantage of knowledge alliance. The knowledge spillover effect impacts the competitiveness of members, thereby affecting the partner selection strategy of the knowledge alliance. Therefore, this paper will explore the impact of knowledge spillover effects on partner selection in knowledge alliances based on benefit distribution. We construct a biform game model of partner selection for a knowledge alliance composed of core and collaborative members. The clique solution is employed to divide the alliance's overall benefits after the introduction of the variables such as innovation efficiency, knowledge input, and marginal loss. Then the influence of the knowledge spillover effect on partner selection for knowledge alliance is explored. Under certain conditions, the core member and members with whom they have cooperated are at the advantage of benefit distribution in the knowledge alliance, while the rest of the members are at the disadvantage of benefit distribution. Enhancing the alliance's overall interests while boosting its competitiveness is made possible by the growth of innovation efficiency and knowledge input. Also, knowledge spillover helps organizations identify and select potential partners, which is conducive to exerting the positive knowledge spillover effect to the fullest, especially for collaborative members who lack cooperation experience, which can significantly enhance their competitiveness. The results offer a useful guide for choosing suitable knowledge alliance partners to fully exploit the knowledge spillover effect.