The Determinants of Commercialization Strategy: Idiosyncrasies in British and German Biotechnology

Abstract

The intention of this paper is to investigate whether market–related factors have a stronger influence on the strategic decision making of ventures in “liberal market economies” than on that of their counterparts in “coordinated economies.” Thereby, I focus on a particularly important strategic decision that firms face—the commercialization choice. Using a unique survey data set on the commercialization of British and German biotechnology firms, I analyze the determinants of commercialization strategy, paying particular attention to national idiosyncrasies. Together, the findings indicate that the commercialization strategy follows distinct patterns in the British “liberal market economy” and the German “coordinated economy.”