Fast Success and Slow Failure: The Costs of Collaboration across Formal Boundaries

Louise Mors; David  Waguespack

Fast Success and Slow Failure: The Costs of Collaboration across Formal Boundaries

Louise Mors, David Waguespack

University of Maryland

Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference abstract for conference › Research › peer-review

Abstract

Full Abstract: Do the benefits of cross boundary collaborations outweigh the costs?
We seek to answer this question by examining 5079 collaborations in the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Our findings suggest that crossing
formal boundaries is positively related to success and efficiency of the
collaboration. Yet there are high costs associated with cross boundary
collaborations for unsuccessful projects, as these take longer to fail, and
therefore hold up resources that could be reallocated to other projects.
We find that even with a boost in success, the costs are higher than the
likelihood of success, suggesting that firms are better off investing in nondiverse
projects. This finding has important implications for how we think
about the benefits of seeking novelty.

Original language	English
Publication date	2016
Number of pages	1
Publication status	Published - 2016
Event	Strategic Management Society 36th Annual International Conference. SMS 2016 - Berlin, Germany Duration: 17 Sept 2016 → 20 Sept 2016 Conference number: 36 https://strategicmanagement.net/berlin/overview/overview

Conference

Conference	Strategic Management Society 36th Annual International Conference. SMS 2016
Number	36
Country/Territory	Germany
City	Berlin
Period	17/09/2016 → 20/09/2016
Internet address	https://strategicmanagement.net/berlin/overview/overview

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Cite this

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title = "Fast Success and Slow Failure: The Costs of Collaboration across Formal Boundaries",

abstract = "Full Abstract: Do the benefits of cross boundary collaborations outweigh the costs?We seek to answer this question by examining 5079 collaborations in theInternet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Our findings suggest that crossingformal boundaries is positively related to success and efficiency of thecollaboration. Yet there are high costs associated with cross boundarycollaborations for unsuccessful projects, as these take longer to fail, andtherefore hold up resources that could be reallocated to other projects.We find that even with a boost in success, the costs are higher than thelikelihood of success, suggesting that firms are better off investing in nondiverseprojects. This finding has important implications for how we thinkabout the benefits of seeking novelty.",

author = "Louise Mors and David Waguespack",

year = "2016",

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note = "Strategic Management Society 36th Annual International Conference. SMS 2016 ; Conference date: 17-09-2016 Through 20-09-2016",

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T1 - Fast Success and Slow Failure

T2 - Strategic Management Society 36th Annual International Conference. SMS 2016

AU - Mors, Louise

AU - Waguespack, David

N1 - Conference code: 36

PY - 2016

Y1 - 2016

N2 - Full Abstract: Do the benefits of cross boundary collaborations outweigh the costs?We seek to answer this question by examining 5079 collaborations in theInternet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Our findings suggest that crossingformal boundaries is positively related to success and efficiency of thecollaboration. Yet there are high costs associated with cross boundarycollaborations for unsuccessful projects, as these take longer to fail, andtherefore hold up resources that could be reallocated to other projects.We find that even with a boost in success, the costs are higher than thelikelihood of success, suggesting that firms are better off investing in nondiverseprojects. This finding has important implications for how we thinkabout the benefits of seeking novelty.

AB - Full Abstract: Do the benefits of cross boundary collaborations outweigh the costs?We seek to answer this question by examining 5079 collaborations in theInternet Engineering Task Force (IETF). Our findings suggest that crossingformal boundaries is positively related to success and efficiency of thecollaboration. Yet there are high costs associated with cross boundarycollaborations for unsuccessful projects, as these take longer to fail, andtherefore hold up resources that could be reallocated to other projects.We find that even with a boost in success, the costs are higher than thelikelihood of success, suggesting that firms are better off investing in nondiverseprojects. This finding has important implications for how we thinkabout the benefits of seeking novelty.

M3 - Conference abstract for conference

Y2 - 17 September 2016 through 20 September 2016

ER -